Review Summary: Slumville Decline…
Jake Bugg sprung out from Nottingham obscurity last year and became an instant hit within the UK pop consciousness; his simplistic acoustic guitar chords and urban lyrics a refreshing alternative to the drowning masses of cluttered EDM. He was young, he IS young, and it is therefore unsurprising to report that Mr Bugg has succumbed to the pressure and ego of releasing a sophomore LP within a year of his great debut. All he knows is how it felt to blaze to glory with the freshly-crowned indie staples of ‘Lightning Bolt’, ‘Taste It’, ‘Two Fingers’ et all, and it’s difficult to blame him for attempting to throw a left jab when the right punch has barely been registered.
Yet that is the overwhelming sense one gets when listening to Shangri-La – that Bugg has rushed and pushed to get another full length album out for the sheer sake of it. There’s an air of mediocrity to the 12 tracks on offer, as though they are Jake on auto-pilot, not pushing himself to unleash anthemic ‘Two Fingers’ cuts, but settling for middling b-numbers. Tracks like ‘You and Me’ are just average and as white as the description on the paint tin – not dreadful but passible, which is almost the same crime.
The singles released so far have more urgency and see Bugg attempting to add some electric guts to his mainly acoustic set. ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ tries too hard to be urgent, and Bugg’s vocals strain to match the tempo of the number. ‘Slumville Sunrise’ is better, but not entirely triumphant, with the same vocal issues in the verses yet with a genuinely uplifting and hooky chorus. The strongest track is ‘Messed Up Kids’ with much more confident vocals and a solid arrangement, in addition to an interesting subject matter that aspires to more than its brother tracks. It reminds us, as this album very sparsely but truly does, that Bugg has a genuine talent, and when he find the right vibe he can create music that is arresting and fights to be heard.
But sadly such a feeling is only fleeting throughout Shangri-La, and it’s easy to say with confidence that Jake Bugg will learn the opposite of what he learned last year – that the striking rise inevitably finds a disappointing fall at some point. Given his sprightly position in pop, it means that this album could quickly become a minor dent on a promising young career, or mark the start of a decline that could reach its nadir sooner than later. Here’s hoping for the former, Jake.
