Most 19-year old pop stars from England are X-Factor
contestants doing cover versions (looking at you, One Direction). Then
there's Bugg, who exploded two years ago with a #1 British album and
actual credibility. He even came up with his own sound, a hybrid
folk-punk-rockabilly that was so retro it was brand-new again. Plus, he
rocked, not popped. The real deal, then.
Still, he's ambitious and impatient, moving quickly on to album
two. He's spoken of wanting to write in different styles, sucking up
influences like a vacuum cleaner. He's jumped from his council estate
upbringing to Los Angeles and celebrity producer Rick Rubin. And
Rubin's given him his wish, letting him try on a whole lot of different
sounds to see what sticks.
The first three cuts, including lead single What Doesn't Kill You,
stay pretty close to the album one feel, vigorous acoustic guitar over a
thumping band and Bugg's thick Nottingham nasal vocals. With the
nu-rockabilly out of the way, Bugg then goes wandering, some mellow
stuff here, rockers there, even a country number to close. At its
weakest, it's generic British rock from the lesser Weller and Oasis
camp. But that's only a couple of cuts. His desire to make important
music is hampered by still-developing skills, but numbers such as Messed
Up Kids grow on you quickly, with a catchy riff and lyrics about the
latest lost generation of kids in England.
Bugg's certainly doing more valuable music than the rest of his
generation, and seems keen to keep doing that. Hats off for stretching
so soon in his career, rather than taking the easy way and making the
same album as the first. Shangri La isn't as great as his debut, but in
the big picture, may be just what he needs for a long career.
No comments:
Post a Comment