Jake makes it
Jake Bugg
Shangri La
Virgin EMI Records
English singer-songwriter Jake Bugg hit big with his self-titled debut album in 2012. More recently, the 19-year-old star closed out 2013 with his second album, Shangri La. Like his debut, Shangri La combines classic Brit pop sounds with the more acoustic feels of folk rock.
Bugg’s singing seems to be influenced in equal measures by Bob Dylan and Oasis singer Liam Gallagher. While that might seem like a good combination in theory, in reality it can lead to quite an annoyingly whiney sound. It’s a style that might improve as Bugg gains more experience.
This album gets off to a good start with the fast, short and energetic “There’s a Beast and We All Feed It.” The following song, “Slumville Sunrise” is also lively and catchy.
Around the middle of the album, songs like “Messed Up Kids” and “A Song About Love” slow things down into more of a folk mode. This is where Bugg’s weaknesses as a singer and songwriter are most strongly felt, and the album starts to feel a bit dull.
The rest of Shangri La alternates between folk ballads and upbeat rock songs. The production throughout, by renowned producer Rick Rubin, maintains a typical, industry standard classic rock sound.
Shangri La is overall a good effort for a teenage singer-songwriter, and Bugg definitely shows talent that could potentially develop into something interesting in the future. — BE
Vocabulary
- combine (v): to join two or more things together to form a single one
whiney (adj): used to describe a voice that is nasal and high pitched, and sounding as if it is always complaining
dull (adj): not interesting or exciting
potentially (adv): having qualities that exist and can be developed
