Jake Bugg’s Eponymous Debut Album, Jake Bugg

  The album cover is a tasteful facsimile of the haughtily posed Sam Riley from the Joy Division biopic, Control-which may or may not be intentional.

Release date: October 15th, 2012 on Mercury records (UK) Also available to purchase on Itunes for USA

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Tracklisting for Jake Bugg:
1. Lightning Bolt
2. Two Fingers
3. Taste It
4. Seen it All
5. Simple as This
6. Country Song
7. Broken
8. Trouble Town
9. Ballad of Mr. Jones
10. Slide
11. Someone Told Me
12. Note to Self
13. Someplace
14. Fire

  One of the most promising nouveau Mod troubadours, Jake Bugg, is about to release his eponymous debut album: Jake Bugg. Although I find eponymous album titles to be humdrum and unimaginative, I won’t harangue the little bugger quite yet. Jake Bugg exudes a brooding pensiveness that every lovable singer-songwriter of any merit has had pinned under their furrowed brow, as well as an aptitude for songwriting that composites his adoration for Donovan and Marley very well. Jake Bugg’s voice is very similar to that of Alex Turner on the Submarine soundtrack, although slightly exaggerated with more pronounced ‘R’s’ and northern whimpers that he must have produced from all of the swift beatings he received from the chavs in Robin hood country (yeah, he’s from Nottingham).

  When it comes to new acts, I’ve personally always enjoyed finding where musicians source their myriad inspiration, especially when it comes to fresh, talcum powdered, baby faces that arrive on the Brit-pop scene. If I’m being pedantic when looking at the track-listing at face value, there are some obvious titles that have been nicked from some of J Buggy’s predecessors; “Lightning Bolt” is the bastard child of “Crying Lightning” by Arctic Monkeys, “Two Fingers” is a wide-eyed boy’s idolotary of Liam Gallagher’s relationship with the world, “Ballad of Mr. Jones” is too obvious, being not only directly lifting Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of Thin Man”esque title, but there is also a reference to a Mr. Jones in Dylan’s song (But you don’t know what it is, do you? Mr. Jones) and finally, “Slide” which Oasis convieniently have in a similar vein-“Slide Away” from Definitely Maybe. Jakey Bugg, I’ve caught you with your panties down and a finger in each of these musicians’ pie and yet you are still undoubtedly an excellent musician (plus, all of the best musicians steal, erm, I mean borrow/sample-Oasis, Suede, The Verve). All nonsense aside, the following is an extremely concise review of each track, noting the stronger (highlighted in red) and weaker tracks, respectively:

1. “Lightning Bolt”, Bugg’s lead off single, is Dylan through and through with “Maggie’s Farm” type qualities, especially in the rhythm of the                        song-curiously catchy, although a bit annoying at first. 7/10

2. The highlight of Jake Bugg’s debut album is “Two Fingers”, which definitely has a “Digsy’s Dinner” vibe to it and an annoyingly catchy chorus. 10/10

3. “Taste it” for me, relies too heavily on country/blues chord progressions and doesn’t really have a distinctive sound. 4/10

4. “Seen it All” has Noel Gallagher all over it with Em7 and G major chords and is just as catchy because of those qualities-excellent tune. 8.5/10

5. “Simple as this” is very tender with a light harmonica brushing the background-cute song for anyone that finds themselves stuck out in Bible belt. 7/10

6. “Country song” isn’t terrible, but it is at this point in the album where it starts to become interchangeable with a couple of his other countrified compositions. 5.5/10

7. “Broken” is sultry and proves Jake Bugg’s versatility, creating a nice break in the middle of the album. 9/10

8. “Trouble town”, again, with Dylan written all over it. I can’t fault him for emulating Bob Dylan so incessantly and would probably be inclined toward a similar fate if I were to compose an entire album. Still, a nice little ditty. 7.5/10

9. “Ballad of Mr. Jones” is a negligible track, although there are hints of Simon and Garfunkel in the sound-if you dig that. 4/10

10. “Slide” is what I would call a safe track, in terms of its accessibility to the listener, though an overall unexceptional song that is neither disappointing nor exciting. 5/10

11. “Someone told me” is a sped up finger picking ode to “Girl from the North Country”, but is still a nice little gem for anyone walking around with French tip nails. 7/10

12. “Note to self”-meh, don’t bother 3/10

13. “Someplace” is the apotheosis of what I appreciate about Jake Bugg, which is his ability to launch into a crescendo and really inspire the lyrical content of the song. 8/10

14. “Fire” sounds like a lost demo of Hank Williams or Bill Haley, with its raspy crackling sound and teen heartbreak nostalgia (I especially enjoy the “bye ya ya, bye ya ya” 1:20 in); very barren, countryside blues with a vestige of doo-wop. 8.5/10

  Overall, the album is very concise with a crew cut style of promising songwriting with a few songs that definitely prove Jake Bugg’s worth. Jake Bugg is the kind of album that would elicit a personal endorsement from Noel Gallagher, but isn’t as original or catchy as I would have liked-though it is still a solid album. Jake Bugg is one of the more promising acts to come along in a while, plus he knows how to wear a Fred Perry properly and has seemingly nodded to all of the right musicians down the line. This first effort is definitely a catalyst that proves his potential and I believe his craft of songwriting will grow, as will his sound. The album proves his versatility and his voice is rough and crisp, evoking perpetual hardship and strife. All in all, I can only hope he sticks around. Only joking, I hate when journalists write that-“only hope he sticks around?” what else is he going to do? Give up the dedacdent life of traveling, singing and boozing for Mr.Mundane over here? Unless he kicks the bucket like junk-house Winehouse or gets in the wrong car like Marc Bolan-he’ll be alright. Go on my son! He who dares Rodders, he who dares.

reference: NME