REVIEW: Jake Bugg by Jake Bugg

               Since being released in the United Kingdom last October, Jake Bugg's self-titled album has received platinum status, but we here in the states have only had an EP and a single to hear what all the hype was about. I really both enjoyed the EP and the single, so I was excitedly waiting for the album to arrive state-side, while resisting the urge to pirate it. Finally the day has come when we Americans can here this album and it was mostly worth the wait. I enjoyed the album a lot, but it still leaves something to be desired. Keeping reading to see what I mean by that.

               From the first song of the album, "Lightning Bolt", which was one of the singles, you get a pretty clear sense of the what the focus of the album is, which is Jake's voice and acoustic guitar. While other instruments might weave in and out, they're only background for the aforementioned  things. There is not a huge of variety on the album, but for what it is, it's very good. The lyrics are insightful and Jake's singing and guitar work is fantastic, but not much happens on the album. The Bob Dylan similarities shine through extremely clearly (even thought Jake says Bob Dylan wasn't a big influence), but it feels like a more modern take on it. It feels less folksy than Dylan and has a more indie and pop feel. It feels like  a cross between Bob Dylan and The Lumineers (or insert generic pop folk band here), which works by bringing out the best in both of those artists, but also the worst. The worst thing about both of those artists is how, to at least a casual listener, all of their songs all sound the same, and this comes out in this album. I can't find a song I don't love or at least like on the album, but the extreme similarity between the music makes me feel like the album could have been more adventurous. Jake obviously know's what kind of music he makes and sticks to his guns, but a little more variety would be nice. As singles, the songs are great, but in collection, they lack something. I'm going to give album 7/10 stars for being fantastic, but boring at the same time.

BEST TRACKS: Lightning Bolt, Taste It, Ballad Of Mr. Jones, Some Place

★★★★★★★☆ ☆ ☆