Jake Bugg - Shangri La

Nottingham, England's most buzzed about new talent Jake Bugg has arrived on American shores with his sophomore studio album titled Shangri La. The follow up to his self titled 2012 debut finds the gravelly voiced singer-songwriter channeling Bob Dylan and a score of other influences into one of the most cohesive and electrifying stateside debuts in recent memory.

"There's A Beast And We All Feed It" starts off with a folk laden blast that sees Jake channeling his late 60's Neil Young into a bombastic and electrifying track that takes us back in time and appreciate the retro feel that he evokes so eloquently in his music. "Slumville Sunrise" moves at a faster pace than its predecessor, and offers up a bit more diversity as well with sharply focused guitar riffs and Jake's vocals describing the aura and atmosphere around him with such clear precision and depth that will leave your head shaking by the time the whole album has concluded. "What Doesn't Kill You" puts it even higher with a frenetic and fast paced track that pulls you back in your seat and allows Jake to take center stage and put all his talents out there for everyone to marvel over and buzz about the next day. My favorite track off the album is "Messed Up Kids", an upbeat, melodic twist that shows Jake's burgeoning skills as a musician that have been building up over on the other side of the pond for quite some time, and have been yearning to be heard by American audiences until now and makes us really appreciate the talent in the U.K. that much more and proves that the talent is still out there. "A Song About Love" sees Jake pouring out his heart in an honest and tearjerking ballad that shows a different side of Jake that we haven't had the opportunity to witness before, and we're more than honored to experience first hand other areas he dabbles in with great passion and charisma.

The second half of the disc features "Kitchen Table" a down home, easy going ballad with Jake's trademark folk melodies weaving their way in and out of your collective consciousness with ease and aplomb, and shows Jake is the embodiment of folk music and everything that it stands for in current times. "Simple Pleasures" gets us ready for the conclusion of the album with a laid-back, romantic feel that is the perfect song to cuddle up to with your special someone and makes for perfect love making music if that should strike your fancy and the opportunity arises. We end things here with "Storm Passes Away" an old school, retro fitted folk ballad that turns back the clock and shows us what real, passionate folk music both feels and sounds like, and allows us to bring everything we've heard full circle and dissect just how real and authentic Jake Bugg is. I was blown away the first time I heard Jake, mostly by the the sheer power of his distorted voice that spoke volumes as to the authenticity and style that he was trying to evoke, and it really hit home for me just how gifted and special he is and is in a class all his own.

In conclusion, an outstanding and terrific effort from Jake Bugg, a singer-songwriter that you'll be sure to hear plenty more from in the coming months and years on end, who has more than proven that he has what it takes to go beyond his surroundings in the U.K. and take his talents all across the globe where his talent and charm are in high demand these days. Highly recommended!

                                                                                                                            Album Score: 4.5/5

Track Listing:

1. There's A Beast And We All Feed It
2. Slumville Sunrise
3. What Doesn't Kill You
4. Me and You
5. Messed Up Kids
6. A Song About Love
7. All Your Reasons
8. Kingpin
9. Kitchen Table
10. Pine Trees
11. Simple Pleasures
12. Storm Passes Away