Laurence Jones, virtuoso guitarist and Walter Trout protégé, is back with ‘the truth’, a ten-track collection demonstrating, once again, his innate gift for melding the gritty power of the blues with a more soulful, pop-infused sound that is both emotionally honest and wonderfully accessible. With a crack band comprising Bennett Holland (keys, backing vocals), Phil Wilson (drums) and Greg Smith (bass), Laurence has produced an album that more than justifies his many accolades. Boasting a silky-smooth production courtesy of Gregory Alias (production) and Juan Mario Aracil (mixing), ‘the truth’ sounds fantastic and Laurence has also benefited from the services of vocal coach Guianko Gomez, with the album proving to be rather more vocally focused than previous outings.
Kicking off with the slinky ‘what would you do’, Laurence draws on the likes of Robert Cray and King King, his smooth vocal providing the perfect counterpoint to the over-driven growl of his guitar. It eases the listener nicely into the album and Laurence still finds time to lay down a gloriously gritty solo over Bennett’s gently rippling keys. Second track ‘don’t you let me go’ benefits from Phil’s laser-precise percussion and a melody that manages to sound custom-built for radio play without sacrificing its soul in the process. A sweetly soulful outing follows in the form of ‘hold me close’, a track that recalls the Dan Reed Network with its passionate vocal and impossibly addictive melody. Remaining in the realm of perfect pop, ‘keep me up at night’ is another track that takes a side-long look at King King with its driving rhythm, rich harmonies and understated guitar work. The first half of the record comes to its conclusion all too quickly with the up-tempo rock workout of ‘give me your time’, an album highlight with a hard-edged vocal performance and blistering solo.
The second half of the album kicks off with the dynamic might of ‘The truth’, a song that offers up some of the album’s most elegant soloing. It’s easy to see why it was chosen as the title track, and it seems set to be a live showcase for some time to come. Bennett takes the lead on ‘take me’, the track opening with, and driven by, his understated piano work. With rich harmonies built into the piece, it’s another track that has shades of the Dan Reed Network, although the lovelorn lyrics feel a touch under-cooked compared to the music on offer. The up-tempo ‘gone away’ has much more bite to it and it’s built around a hot-wired, wah-infused riff which is going to absolutely smoke live. Harking back, once more, to Robert Cray, ‘can’t go on without you’ is a smooth, slinky blues number with subtle guitar work and a soulful vibe. The album ends with the late-night blues of ‘never good enough’, a track redolent of candle-lit bars and the low hum of hushed conversation.
‘The truth’ is another impressive offering from Laurence Jones, a gifted guitarist and song-writer who’s just getting started on a career that is likely to last him the rest of his life. There’s no question that the work with vocal coach Guianko has paid off, but the additional focus on vocals also throws a spotlight on the lyrics, most of which focus on lost love and heartache in a manner that can become a touch overbearing and a more varied thematic approach would pay dividends on the next outing. Nonetheless, ‘the truth’ sees a ruthless refinement of Laurence’s style and the album comprises ten concise tracks that emphasise his gift for infusing the blues with a breezy pop edge to the extent that any one of the tracks on offer here could be a potential single. A very, very good album, then, but there’s a feeling that a great album is just waiting in the wings. 8
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