Buried amongst the deluge of releases forever challenging
the capacity of an independent blogger was this little gem which immediately rocketed
up to the attention ladder. Considering where the music of Laney Jones fits is
a curious activity, but one demanding multiple plays of a record embedding
itself within your DNA. The press blurb hails Laney as an ‘Americana songstress’,
while just prior to penning this review, Rolling Stone proclaimed her as ‘One
of ten new country artists you need to know right now’. Neither really do her
sound justice, but I’m going to join the fray by stating that if Courtney
Barnett had an extended stay in the US then she may morph into Laney Jones.
There is an appealing dead pan starkness portraying the reality of Laney which
permeates every inch of this new record and appears set to draw plenty of attention.
This self-titled release from the Florida raised Laney is a fully
grounded and earthy album, organic in its content and roots orientated in the infrastructure.
It calls at many genre points without outstaying its welcome, yet maintaining a
plain speaking approach to song writing. There is a natural charm to this
music, possessing cool and sultry elements while certainly being more suburban
than country. Laney herself has been well-schooled at the prestigious Berklee
College of Music and brings an uncontrived sophisticated edge to her song
writing in an attempt to bridge the gap between the icons of the craft and her generation.
The track chosen to spearhead the release is a split choice
as it far from represents the substance and sound of the complete record. While
‘Allston’ has an infectious vibrancy
about its sound, it does mask the more refined moments which will entice fans
of the wider Americana movement. The challenge is to seek the inner beauty of
this song, but for those perhaps searching for a slightly lower key depth can
choose any other three of the first four tracks. The indie-focussed ‘Bad Luck Charm’ stands out for me with
its neat structure and a cool guitar bit at the end. It also planted the first likeness
to Courtney Barnett, albeit without the crashing guitars. Album opener ‘Do You Want’ wastes little time in
drawing you in and by the time ‘Who Could
Love’ has sunk its teeth into you, the hook is complete. The repetitive strains
of ‘who could love a fool’ adorned with oodles of subtle banjo make this track
an integral piece of the album’s jigsaw.
Track #5 ‘Work it Out’
has previously surfaced in the 2014, but this version appears slightly re-worked and is a continuation of the
good stuff as the record launches into its second half. The heavily roots
influenced ‘Troubled Mind’ complete
with harmonica kicks off side two when/if the album gets a vinyl issue and is
an excellent continuation of the superb material guiding you through the early
stages of a record maturing with each listen. If ‘Allston’ is Laney’s stab at pop then ‘Fire Walk’ sees her wander in a totally alternative direction with
no less appeal and possibly a little clarinet detected. This diversity to Laney’s
music has previously attracted the attention of roots aficionados No
Depression. ‘Lonesome Soul’ and ‘The Simple Truth’ see Laney in
contemplative mode in the album’s latter stages as the record really finds its
groove fully sealing the deal of a release to be reckoned with. This chapter of
Laney’s recording career closes with the age old theme of ‘Endless Summer’ and its dreamy vibes perfectly conclude a record
that reveals different nooks and crannies with each listen.
With its March 11 release date approaching, Laney is still
requesting a little help to finalise the unwrapping of this gem and giving it a
small amount of assistance is the least to offer in light of the pleasure
derived from endless plays of the advance digital copy. With a prevailing wind
and the common sense approach of serious music fans, success is looming for
Laney Jones and my parting advice is to check out all ten tracks at the
earliest opportunity.
www.laney-jones.com
