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Acoustic, alternative, Americana, singer-songwriter, Canterbury.

An album five years in the making we’re reliably informed. For a young fella such as Luke that’s an age. Those five years have been filled with a number of life’s ups and downs and challenges. He’s not been idle. He released the Of The Time EP and re-recorded his debut More Than Boys, the latter maybe even an act that’s contributed to an album that finds faith in the familar yet treads significant new ground.

At the core are the rich tones that we’ve become used to and it feels strange to suggest that there’s a maturity about the vocal given his still (he’s turned 30 now!) tender years. What has certainly matured is the songwriting. What’s also on offer on Bloom is the chance to see the different faces of Luke Jackson. Bloom also feels like a reboot and reminder that ‘hey, I’m back and this is what I do and where I’m going’. Solo, unaccompanied or rocking androlling with the trio (Elliott Norris + Sam Mummery, with mentions in dispatches to Andy Sharps).

Solo mode finds him in his old Bluesman guise as he bemoans his luck in Trouble Now. Just the voice, those finger clicks and the occasional harmony that anyone who’s seen Luke onstage will recall. And for his guitar skills, the gentle picking on the poignant Rainbow Valley telling the tale of a father who lost his son to Mount Everest and wishes to “bring that boy back home” is particularly striking combined with the reinforcement of the “age will never wither us now” line. Gauntlet thrown down, Trouble Don’t Last matches with a hold your breath, solo voice and guitar. A fragile world weariness eeking its way into the Jackson canon.

Amy Wadge joins in for Rubber & Magic. Their touring partnership that promised so much delivers a mouthwatering morsel – a duo album – please! The delicacy of the guitar accompaniment shines the spotlight on a crystal clear production where the up close/in your face/in the same room atmosphere is at its finest.

The trio come into their own on a number of tracks. Luke sings of stumbling round in the dark in My Busy Mind wher e the slap bass and wild instrumental section see the trio unleashed while hr rues of causing his own castle to fall in the mid tempo opening track Ruler Of Nothing. The easy pace is maintained in Woman where the twanging reverb of guitar is very Big O. Amongst other examples, the swinging rockabilly (and troubled mind) on Curse The Day could arguably be lifted from the songbooks of Paul Simon, Richard Hawley or John Martyn.

And for a finale, the depth of personal reflections explored in Beside You is perhaps the deepest he’s ever dug to expose himself in what may be his most personal lyric. An confessional outpouring if you like and indication of the suffering for great art philosophy. Edwina Hayes adds a harmony to the life changing tales of one night stands, the saving for weddings and the fear of aging and “I still don’t know who I am today.” Not only thought provoking, it’s also quite chilling to grow up in public, yet a sign of how far Luke Jackson has travelled – and the road to come.

Tracks:
01 - Ruler Of Nothing
02 - Woman
03 - Rubber And Magic
04 - Curse The Day
05 - Trouble Now
06 - Rainbow Valley
07 - The Wire
08 - Trouble Don’t Last
09 - Old Friends
10 - Hummingbirds of Kingston
11 - My Busy Mind
12 - Beside You

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jVOVyATLE