As far as debut albums go, this eponymous release is a surprisingly accomplished effort from the Nottingham-born teenager Jake Bugg. Although he stares out from the album cover like a younger, long-lost cousin of the View or the Enemy, while those U.K. indie acts found their nourishment on a diet of the Jam, Oasis, and the Strokes, Bugg found time to explore pre-Beatles music from the likes of Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. These influences -- combined with a folk sensibility and moments of delicate acoustic fingerpicking ...
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As far as debut albums go, this eponymous release is a surprisingly accomplished effort from the Nottingham-born teenager Jake Bugg. Although he stares out from the album cover like a younger, long-lost cousin of the View or the Enemy, while those U.K. indie acts found their nourishment on a diet of the Jam, Oasis, and the Strokes, Bugg found time to explore pre-Beatles music from the likes of Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. These influences -- combined with a folk sensibility and moments of delicate acoustic fingerpicking that betray a love for Bob Dylan and Donovan -- make for an accessible, pop-focused record that doesn't attempt to chase innovation. Much of the material here was co-written, produced, and mixed by Snow Patrol and Reindeer Section collaborator Iain Archer. When Bugg and Archer combine on "Taste It" and "Trouble Town" -- two of the album's stronger, more raucous tracks -- it's as if you're hearing what the La's would have sounded like if John Power had been their dominant force, as opposed to Lee Mavers. It's the intro to "Taste It" in particular that apes "Feelin'" -- the Liverpudlians' final single -- while "Trouble Town" comes across as a rewrite of their cautionary "Doledrum" with its skiffle-fueled tales of unemployment benefits and missed payments. The comparatively positive and sprightly opener "Lightning Bolt" didn't do Bugg any harm when it was featured just prior to the BBC's live coverage of Usain Bolt's Olympic 100m victory and was heard by a U.K. audience of 20 million people. Built around a three-chord shuffle and a bridge that Noel Gallagher would be proud of, it's another example of a Bugg/Archer gem. While it's the analog-sounding upbeat tracks such as these that impress, it's the mid-paced, digitally polished ballads and resultant formulaic pacing that underwhelm. It's safe to say that those searching for experimental music should most definitely look elsewhere. "Broken" -- co-written with former Longpigs frontman Crispin Hunt -- takes Bugg into broad, "X-Factor does indie" territory, while "Country Song" tiptoes between James Blunt's vocal quirks and John Denver's suffocating pleasantry. Inoffensive and clean-cut as they are, both tracks signify a mid-album lull and sit awkwardly on a record that is littered with overt drug references and imagery from the street. To his credit, Bugg's too young by far to be a drug bore, and when he takes "a pill or maybe two" in "Seen It All" or is "high on a hash pipe of good intent" in "Simple as This," it feels like social documentation rather than a misguided attempt at glamorizing their use. Elsewhere, Clifton -- the south Nottingham village that Bugg calls home -- gets what is possibly its first mention in song on the irresistible, Hollies-inspired "Two Fingers." All in all, though Bugg's debut may not share the wordy precociousness of Conor Oberst's formative steps or the political astuteness of Willy Mason on Where the Humans Eat, it's his sheer earnestness and rare gift for writing simple, hook-filled tunes that ultimately charm the listener. ~ James Wilkinson, Rovi
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Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $2.74, good condition, Sold by Cozy Book Cellar rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bellingham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Mercury Records.
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Good. Size: 78x89x7; Music CD. Good. Ex-Library with usual markings in a library case with no booklet. CD is in very good condition. UPC Code: 602537128778 Tracks: 14 Genre: Rock; Pop/Rock Length: 39: 27.
Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $2.74, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Island.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $3.00, good condition, Sold by HPB-Red rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Island.
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Good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $3.00, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Mercury.
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Fair. Disc(s) and case show moderate signs of wear and tear. All items include the original case and artwork. All items ship Mon-Fri. Disc(s) have been resurfaced using a professional-grade machine. Case shows moderate wear and tear. All items include the original case and artwork. All items ship Mon-Fri.
Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $6.15, Sold by Entertainment By Post US-KH rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Indian Trail, NC, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Mercury Records.
Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $12.15, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2012 by Mercury.
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Good. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Please, note that this is a second-hand item. The case will likely be a bit worn at its edges or have very minor cracks.
Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $12.31, new condition, Sold by insomniacsonline rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Hackensack, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Island.
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Add this copy of Jake Bugg to cart. $15.94, new condition, Sold by Entertainment by Post - UK rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from BRISTOL, SOUTH GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2012 by Mercury Records.
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