ALBUM: Jake Bugg 'On My One' - GigslutzGigslutz

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Pitchfork branded Jake Bugg‘s third album, On My One, “one of the most baffling collections of music in recent memory”. NME suggested the record worked only “when he play[ed] to his strengths”. Gigslutz reckons there’s still plenty of charm left in the scowl of this “poor boy from Nottingham”, and his latest offering is a worth a listen; despite differing substantially from his 2012 chart-topping self-titled debut, and his highly successful 2013 follow up, Shangri La.

The eponymous opening track is a brilliant ballad about loneliness, delivered with the trademark scowl and soul from the lad who “got out” of the town which shaped his outlook. It’s an outlook which has developed since his debut days, and has paved the way for singles like ‘Gimme The Love’, a song which changes the tone and pace of the record, and gives fans of shoe gaze an opportunity to shimmy all over the shop.

On ‘Love, Hope and Misery’, Bugg croons over sweeping orchestral sounds, and woos listeners with self-deprecating lines like “Don’t be mad, I’m just a man, and I know that you must hate me”. Following track ‘The Love We’re Hoping For’ harks back to his debut material, showcasing his gift for spinning an ordinary narrative with extraordinary skill. Lyrically, he paints bleak pictures, but the sadness of his laments are soothed by his powerful vocals.

Fans of Johnny Cash (one of Bugg’s main musical influences) will enjoy ‘Put Out The Fire’, before the album steps in to experimental territory. ‘Never Wanna Dance’ is an unexpected, dreamy fusion of synth and guitar sounds, but it can easily be skipped for the sour but upbeat single, ‘Bitter Salt’. Another experimental track, ‘Ain’t No Rhyme’, is unfortunately the weakest part of the record. Perhaps Bugg should have sang rather than rapped(?) the lyrics. Anyway, skip forward to the next track (and the next track if you don’t want to know what a country-fied Jake Bugg sounds like on ‘Livin’ Up Country’). When you reach the acoustic sweetness of ‘All That’, you’ll feel comfortable again.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for closing track ‘Hold On You’. The lyrics are disappointingly entitled, and the labels of “honey” and “lady” feel threatening, not endearing. It’s a shame, because the guitar and vocals are impressive.

On My One is not Jake Bugg’s strongest effort, which is why it’s been so easy to criticise. Fortunately, he’s no stranger to controversial comments – whether he’s making them, or they’re being made about him – so it’s unlikely the confusion and dislike surrounding the release has phased him. He’ll probably pen a song about how little he cares for opinions like this on his fourth album.

On My One is released via Virgin EMI Records.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut