Jawbone are back with their sophomore effort, the cinematically titled Jawbone II, and it’s a must for fans of laid back, bluesy Rock and Roll. The four-piece, a mix of Oceania and the United Kingdom, come together for nine tracks of Roots rock brimming with themes of hope and premises that good times are right around the corner.
New single Horizons Of Hope is punctuated by a longing, authentic, bluesy vibe, think Kings of Leon when they were briefly good. Singer Marcus Bonfanti laments that ‘one voice can start a revolution’ and you’ve got to admire their optimism in these ever-troubling times. The Tide is full of thoughtful wordplay and maturity with a lovely, considered piano melody throughout.
During the recording process, Jawbone made the call to record the album as if it were a live gig and that decision is vindicated as it shines through the record, with the production oozing urgency, like a band you stumble across on the smaller stage at a festival and you just have to stay for the whole set.
Miss Feelgood is a jazzy bombardment of instruments, and it’s great fun with Jawbone showing off their finely tuned three-part harmonies. Warm Up That Cup, I swear, is a song about having a cup of coffee. Still, it’s so full of joy you can’t help but get swept up in it, just feels like four mates getting together for a jam session, and the enthusiasm is contagious, if they fancied making some cash, I’m sure Nescafe would fancy it.
Freedom at the Renaissance has a sound epic enough to warrant its title; at its best, the album could almost be compared to Exile on Main Street, which is pretty high praise.
Paper Scissors Stone ends with a heartfelt, soulful ode to lost love, encapsulating the best of the band’s harmonies, multi-instrumentalism, and considered lyrics, all cobbled together with an enthusiasm and genuine love of the music, which shines through on the record.
Individually, the band has played with household names such as Tom Jones, Van Morrison, and Eric Clapton, to name a few, as well as recently supporting Imelda May on her UK tour, but it looks like it’s time for Jawbone to take centre stage and become the main event.
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