The award-winning 26-year-old British blues-rock guitarist and singer/songwriter LAURENCE JONES plays an infinite variety of sounds; from stimulating riffs, full of rocky hues, to elongated nickel & steel structures that often come together in power-ribbons and magneto sparkles of pure brilliance.
He’s won several major accolades across five albums, and he’s supported the likes of : Gary Clark Jr, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Van Morrison, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Burdon etc.
Photo Kieran Liggins
He releases his self-titled sixth album on 27th September 2019, recorded in Miami and produced by Gregory Elias (who also produced “The Truth” 2018) and issued on Elias’s label: Top Stop Music.
The band includes: Laurence (guitar and vox) Phil Wilson (drums) Bennett Holland (keys) and Greg Smith (bass.)
A major tour has been announced, to support the new album (tour poster below video)
We had a listen:
The album begins with the dulcet, piano-accompanied clapalong “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”. It’s groovy and it’s laggardly and it’s truly Brown Sugarish.
Oddly Latino “Wipe Those Tears Dry” is a squelchmeat pitter-patter of tapping rhythms and doe-eyed, puppy-dog lyricism. This is blues rock with shuffle beats and a touch of the soul-funk cha-cha-chá. The guitar lick is smart ‘n’ sexy.
“I’m Waiting” has already been released as a single (video shared below) and it’s a speedster. This number has tight, show-beat rhythms, a mixed slurry of organ sounds and lots of compacted chords… so that the whole experience seems tamped down and crammed-in. It certainly has a homesick Meresybeat quality too; in fact, you might even imagine Book of Taliesyn era Deep Purple jamming this out with Starr and Lennon at Harrison’s Kinfauns, circa 1968.
“Mistreated” is more like what we’ve come to expect from the guitar prodigy. A song about feeling disengaged in a relationship — this has sensual, bright guitar that dabbles over a thumby bass and smeared organ. The sounds are smooth and reliable. And this is filled with bluesy pain.
And if you love the idea of Stevie Ray Vaughn jamming along with the Fab Four then you’ll love the pull ‘n’ push of “Daytripper”. Jones admits this was: “my most challenging song on the album.” We found the twinkling guitar, the background sound and the fingering bass a joy.
The album ends with a serious country-style ballad “The Love” with flowing guitar waves, a persistent chorus and unforced tenderness held in each vital breath.
Uplifting, positive and hopeful… Very highly recommended — for nostalgic trippers ‘n’ dippers and all the lost & lonely bluesouls out there…
Words: @neilmach 2019 ©
Pre-order the album bundles here: https://laurencejones.tmstor.es/
Link: https://www.facebook.com/laurencejonesmusic/
RAW RAMP 