Written by Tom Bedding
Jake Bugg took Britain by storm in 2012 and firmly cemented himself as a much beloved artist of his generation. Sadly there was not the follow up we all expected but the career of the Nottingham man still has so many highlights. Now under a new label and wanting to prove himself, Bugg offers a slight trippy and heavily hooky 5th album that truly fulfils its potential.
For Jake Bugg to nail the swing at this reasonably contemporary record and to hush any doubters, the songwriter had to offer us a big single that would go down well with a wider audience and fans alike. Well his answer to that calling was ‘All I Need’ and I’m sure you have heard that single on an advert or sports montage by now; you may of even seen that great band performance of the single on Graham Norton, which included an incredible backing vocal performance!
Based around an infectious hook and later an epic choir, Bugg sings about wanting to make a scene and reach the apex of feeling hyped, something that is reinforced well by the solid production by Steve Mac. With a slight 60’s angle to the song, Jake has offered a fine single/opening track that feels fresh and ready to be belted back to, at every festival next year.
Now going back to November 2019, the first single and second track off ‘Saturday Evening, Sunday Morning’ was released….doesn’t that feel like a lifetime ago? ‘Kiss Like The Sun’ still feels fresh though and has the brilliant swagger that Bugg can effortlessly deliver from to time to time. The more typical sounding song by him, which includes yet another catchy guitar hook, does have a premise around a one night stand but it’s the attitude and swag of Jake that really shines through. You can imagine the singer with a leather jacket on stage, snarling at the audience and singing ‘I’m only saving you from someone else like me’, as he effortlessly plays the guitar….oh its such a great line and for this to be such a confident comeback/first offering under a new label, is true testament to an artist who can really go to town when fully focused.
Despite it being teased online, ‘About Last Night’ is the first new song to hear on the fifth record and feels like a reattempt of the sound that was on the mixed bag of ‘On My One’. This track has an accessible hook and some classic swag to the groove, while offering us the first glimpses of the psychedelic nature that Jake Bugg had been talking about when describing what ‘Saturday Night, Sunday Morning’ would consist of. It may not be the strongest cut on the LP but you can feel how well it will go down live, maybe the song will grow on me when hearing it at the songwriters next tour.
Following on from there, we are offered a song that left even the NME having to give Bugg some well deserved praise. Written in ode to a close friend who was struggling at the time of the songs inception, ‘Downtown’ feels like a rare track by Jake due to its piano led nature. We had previously heard impressive piano cuts on the previous album back in 2017 but this latest, sobering offering could be the best yet. Through some wonderful piano playing and some fine mixing on the lead vocals, the sincerity and emotion rings so true with lyrics of trying to help someone who is struggling mentally.
The lockdown release, ‘Rabbit Hole’, keeps getting better and better as time goes on, the simple hook becomes more bad arse and the slight psychedelic nature of the mixing becomes more trippy, as the months past. Bugg’s vocals shine and sound super strong coming into the second verse, as he sings about the sensation of being somewhere deep within the rabbit hole. You feel like this is what Jake wanted this record to be about, capturing the feeling of the night out and chemical charge and changes that it all brings.
Then, after the success of the collaboration with Camelphat back in 2019, it’s not too surprising that Jake Bugg has attempted a proper ‘dance track’ for his own work. ‘Lost’ is kept alive by a solid bass line and subtle instrumentation, as Jake sings about wanting to find comfort in the communal spirt of raving and dancing, which this song will definitely make you do. For the guy who was seen as the love child of Dylan and Alex Turner, fair play to him for nailing such a song!
Next is a song that many would have heard in the songwriters set list for the last 3 or 4 years, what a tease right? ‘Scene’ has slowly developed since I first heard it (the journey of it has been fascinating to witness) and has definitely fulfilled all of his fans hope, with its delicacy and touching melody. Jake sings about an argument he had with his partner on this Beatles and very George Harrison inspired song, especially with Andrew Watt’s solo that sounds like something off ‘All Things Must Pass’. The simple touch of the running piano line is a master stroke (also very Oasis like), giving it a simple touch to allow the chord progression to shine further, and when those ‘nah nah nah’s’ come in later on the song, you know this is going to be a popular song.
‘Lonely Hours’ then comes along with a lot of purpose, the fuzzy guitar part rings hard as Bugg and the band crank it up to a level that makes you want to jump around like nothing else matters. It has to be said, this song and indeed the entire record is not suppose to be overcomplicated and impress with the musicianship that Jake has always undoubtedly proven previously; it simply taps into the essence of each song idea on the record and delivers it in a fashion that strongly captures the mood or topic of each song. You can see why Jake said this record was the most to record and a song like ‘Lonely Hours’ would have defiantly of been a track that he would have enjoyed making the most.
Another impressive factor is how this latest LP from Bugg is very consistent as it enters the last third, especially with the simple but effective ‘Maybe It’s Today’. The very ABBA inspired melody is backed by a running bass line and wonderful strings that help elevates the melody to a wonderful release, despite Jake not pushing himself vocally very much. Another thing with the songs melody is how it feels very reminiscent of Blossoms frontman Tom Ogden’s songwriting, who is also heavily inspired by the works of Björn and Benny.
With singing about wanting to confess his love to a woman who is with a substandard man, this cut is incredibly sweet and highly impressive with its simple but impressive songwriting. From there, we have a very smooth beginning on Screaming’, which leaves us rocking and ready for a mighty moshpit during the loud and epic chorus on the song. As previously stated, Jake Bugg did not want to overcomplicate the songs on this album but I don really wish for this track, that the drumming had an extra gear to it in its playing and there to be a guitar solo on the penultimate track! Regardless, we can hear you screaming Jake.
As the Nottingham born finishes his fifth album, we are offered a tribute of sorts for what Jake Bugg does best with on ‘Hold Tight’. The one take, acoustic track is a sweet and fitting conclusion as it really takes us back to songs like ‘Saffron’ and ‘Love Me Like You Do’, that Bugg would have wrote in his small bedroom as a teenager. To conclude, ‘Saturday Evening, Sunday Morning’ is an impressive twist in this songwriters discography that is filled with some brilliant, accessible hooks and melodies. Jake Bugg is far from over (ignore the NME guys) and don’t you worry Buggy old boy, we will always remember you.
Bring Me The Music Recommended Tracks: All I Need, Kiss Like The Sun, Downtown and Scene
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