At the age of twenty-seven, Laurence Jones can already look back on a career of which most artists can only dream. With six albums already under his belt (this eponymous effort being his seventh) since 2012, his remarkable feel for the guitar has seen him win recognition as Young Artist Of The Year three years in a row (British Blues Awards, 2014-16), Guitarist Of The Year (British Blues Awards, 2016) and Best Guitarist (European Blues Awards, 2015). Such plaudits are not easily come by, and Laurence has earned each and every one by matching his natural talent with a dizzying work ethic. Following up 2017’s polished The Truth, Laurence Jones Band takes a slightly rougher stance, capturing a touch more of the grit that is to be found when Laurence and his band take to the stage, and it might just be his most well-rounded studio effort yet.
Opening with the bright, breezy, piano-led Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, Laurence and his band get feet tapping and hips swaying with a hint of Rolling Stones’ swagger. It’s a great opening and it’s easy to imagine the audience reaction to this one, the soulful back vocals only the icing on an already appealing cake. The wah-inflected Wipe Those Tears Dry is equally engaging, albeit with a soulful swing, only for the blistering I’m waiting to light a firecracker and toss it gleefully into the middle of things. Quite aside from the blazing guitar that underpins the piece, it’s a vocal masterclass, Laurence giving it his all as his band respond in kind. The quasi-orchestral strains of the Mellotron notwithstanding, Stay is a taut, well-paced rocker with plenty of energy. Located firmly within the vocabulary of artists like Freddie King, Mistreated is a classic blues with modern production and some sweet, gritty guitar work. It’s an album highlight, and the band capture the vibe of the bluesmen of yore perfectly. The first half of the record concludes with the smooth shuffle of Quite Like You, a track with an Eric Clapton vibe, that greatly benefits from the warm backing vocals of Di Reed (Rod Stewart), who brings a sense of elegance to the piece and takes it over the top.
Kicking off the album’s second side, the acoustic, rhythmic swing of Long Long Lonely Ride picks up on a Robert Cray vibe, the understated percussion rippling piano providing the backdrop for one of the album’s best solos. A perfect pairing of pop and blues, Beautiful Place captures the smoother tones of The Truth, and allows the listener to just drift for a few minutes amidst the soulful backing vocals and slinky guitar. In contrast, Low Down is a rocking track with gritty vocals and a Beatles vibe that perfectly places it for the actual Beatles’ cover that follows. Impressively, rather than stick to the original like glue, Laurence and his band manage to capture the vibe of Day Tripper, whilst putting their own unique spin on it, rendering a familiar track fresh once more. This is no mean feat with a track so well worn, and it says much about Laurence’s ever-growing confidence and experience that he can tackle such a song with such success. Laurence gets a little bit funky on Heart Is On Fire, a track that pretty much has it all from some suitably stinging leads to gospel-soaked backing vocals. Imagine the album in miniature and you have Heart Is On Fire. The record ends with The Love, a track that feels like it belongs over the closing credits of a film with its simple, repeated chorus and smooth tones. It’s another track that cleaves closer to the pop-infused the truth and it serves as a fine concluding piece to a varied album.
Laurence Jones and his band deserve great credit for steadfastly refusing to sit in the same groove. On every album, there’s a feeling that this talented group of musicians are never content to rest on their laurels, always willing to try new ideas and to develop their sound in different directions. As a result, this self-titled effort builds upon previous releases, taking lessons from them all, to deliver their most coherent musical statement yet. With Laurence increasingly confident in both his skills behind the guitar and the microphone, it makes sense that this should be an eponymous album and there’s a fair argument to be made that it sets the standard by which all future Laurence Jones album will be judged. A strong statement of intent, Laurence Jones Band is the album where Laurence has staked out his claim as a UK blues legend in the making and, if he can stay on this course, it’s a title that is his for the taking. 8.5
