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An eponymous Mercury-nominated debut album which topped the UK charts, a performance on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and sold-out shows across the country, it appears that Jake Bugg has the world at his feet. With the release of his second album a mere 13 months after the first, does ‘Shangri La’ live up to the high expectations or has it come a bit too quick for the young man from Nottingham?
Bugg’s follow up album takes its title from the studio in which it was made, with arguably the most famous producer in the world, Rick Rubin. From the Midlands-to-Malibu, the LP certainly has an American influence, an element that was touched-on throughout his first album but with opening tracks ‘There's A Beast And We All Feed It’ and ‘Slumville Sunrise,’ there is no hiding this obvious tribute.
In a complete contrast, the lead single from the album ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ is slap-in-the-face British. Full of bravado and brashness, it’s a track that stands out on the album and not necessarily for its quality but just how different it is from the apparent theme of the album as a whole.
Where Bugg excels in finding the perfect balance is ‘Messed Up Kids.’ Co-written with Raconteur Brendan Benson, the straight-talking lyrics are given such a strong platform, complete with an infectious chorus this song will be filling the radio airwaves.
‘Pine Trees’ is just Bugg and his guitar and it’s brilliant. ‘Kitchen Table’ has a backing track that compliments the song wonderfully well and frustratingly ‘A Song About Love’ is a proper ballad. That is when performed live acoustically and it sends shivers down the spine. On the album the quality shines through but is somewhat overshadowed with an overbearing backing track. Bugg is at his best when his raw passion and emotion takes overand at times on this album there is a feeling that this hasn’t been allowed to happen.
A lot has been made about the down-to-earth authenticity of the 19-year-old from Clifton, many doubting the credentials of this ideal, however listening to the pure simplicity and real life stories on the album it is hard to see where this doubt comes from.
‘Shangri La’ is good, very good in places in fact and although this album doesn’t feel like it has been rushed in any way, I believe that Bugg would have benefitted from staying out of the limelight for longer. For about eighteen months, the young man has been there or thereabouts, with no time away. Whilst he is riding this wave of success I understand wanting to maintain momentum but I feel this album could have made a bigger impact if it had been kept back for another six months.
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