Review Sun Jan 19 2014

Jake Bugg, Live from Studio X, 1/18

By Sarah Brooks

I was waiting outside Kingston Mines on Saturday, awaiting the set of fledgling indie folk darling Jake Bugg. The Live from Studio X show by WXRT was to feature the British musician for a short set and question and answer session, which I was delighted to attend. As I waited in line while watching the snow steadily fall, seemingly covering Halsted Street completely, suddenly Jake Bugg stepped out of a car and nonchalantly walked into the venue. With this action, the show was already different than most I had attended previously; it was already established that this show would be more intimate, carefree and casual than most, a change I certainly welcomed.

Patrons amassed quickly within the venue as Bugg played a quick song to soundcheck and fine tune the acoustics before the firm 3pm start time. I was immediately enchanted by the tenacity of his voice, which somehow sounded even better in a live setting than on record. It is difficult sometimes to remember that he is only 19 years old, as he sings with a maturity that rings out clearly as he is far wiser than his years.

Jake Bugg began the set with "Slumville Sunrise," off of his recently released album Shangri La, a raucous, rapid ballad that truly showcases the essence of his musical style, if it can even be pinned down. With a voice reminiscent of Bob Dylan and energized, deliberate guitar in the background, listeners truly got a sense of his style and why he is currently such a revered newcomer in the music industry not only for 2013, but beyond.

"There's no point in holding it back," Bugg discussed with Marty Lennartz, WXRT radio host, in regards to his reasoning behind releasing two albums in one year, which is typically an unprecedented process for many artists today. He mentioned that a few songs were written first, which quickly turned into an 18 song album, and it just "made sense" to release it within the same year, an ambitious project. His first album is more raw in its production, while the second album showcases fine-tuned elements and a more varied rock style rather than strictly acoustic folk found on his self-titled debut. He also mentioned that there is no reason to remain stagnant when releasing music, and that it's okay if individuals preferred one of his albums over the other, but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't continuously be evolving his sound into something new.

After his first interview session, Bugg then played a slower, more languid version of "Me and You," which definitely retained the beauty of the original recording. A love story, the song displayed his versatility as an artist. He can juxtapose rockabilly jams and sweeter folk tunes with ease, and displays many variations on the traditional folk style within his recordings. He then addressed the next question posed, if he actually felt like an old soul, to which he remained modest and humble about the wisdom that he inherently possesses. From hearing him interviewed, I could tell that he sincerely cares about the music that he creates and the fans that receive it, and he is looking forward to continuously maturing his musical style as time moves forward.

As the 30-minute slot wound to a close as Bugg needed to depart and get ready for his show at the Riviera that same evening, he ended with listening favorite, "Lightning Bolt." Definitely an old soul, Jake Bugg imparted his wisdom to the crowd at Kingston Mines for a memorable and special Live at Studio X experience.