Jack Cade
Bewilderland
Collision Music
A Dark Cave of Discovery, Enlightened with Glistening, Gothic South Coast Americana.
I’ve been on the lookout for a refreshingly different album to kickstart the New Year, so it was impeccable timing when this new release landed from an edgy, Brighton based singer songwriter.
First spin and it’s all about Jack Cade’s voice: a cavernous and oh so deep, heavyweight tone which is utterly spellbinding and charging with dark energy right through all 10 tracks.
The entire album is infectious, first-class songwriting (loosely Americana/folk/Alt Country with lots of twists) resulting in a hefty group of stellar songs.
This has the artist’s Punk Rock/New Wave beginnings at its core, making my mind play tricks conjuring up an image of ‘what if’ the Stranglers had formed a supergroup with some of The Doors and The Pogues with Johnny Cash, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop taking it in turns to sing up front……..?
Yet this still only scratches the surface of my first impressions!
Safe to say that Mr Cade’s music is unique and full of surprises.
The album erupts with the rich, low twanging hooky strum of ‘Choose Your Condition’, an open anarchic invitation to collectively seek some answers.
The message is a powerful one and cinematic in scale, a sumptuous musical nod to this artist’s love of Spaghetti Westerns and the entire album has Gothic outer edges, echoing his passion for horror films too:
“And we are all shouting to the heavens
But no one ever listens
Why don’t you slow it down and ask the question, why?”
‘Roll Them Dice” slows the mood with a sluggish, menacing rhythm to a song continuing the theme of hidden truths awaiting discovery. Cade gives an impactfully prophetic vocal delivery warning of the futility of our actions: however hard we try the truth is somehow still “out of reach”.
These lies we live with each day are explored further in ‘The Faster We Run’: this song thrashes in and introduces the additional vocals of Helen Muggeridge and is full of Indie attitude, as her high range contrasts and magnificently compliments Jack Cade’s, her contribution to the album as a whole is immense.
As the album progresses, it is clear lyrically this artist explores themes as deep as his voice. Neatly summed up in the album notes: “Life is a continuing evolution, sometimes a revolution and often a revelation of both the good and the bad”.
Bewilderland is certainly centred around searching for what is real, resulting in a fully submersive listening experience.
What’s more, the exceptional versatility of songwriting shines throughout. ‘Between The Sun And The Moon’ transports us to a mystical, Folk night camp fire with the two vocals this time duetting to maximum effect, radiating a spotlight of blissful loveliness.
In complete contrast, it’s immediately followed by the heavy Rock-Country riff laden ‘Love Will Burn All Down’, an enjoyable, dark and gritty Rock stomper.
The closing track perhaps holds the biggest surprise of all: the deeply reflective, slow paced surging waltz of ‘Keep Believing’ is nothing short of captivating.
The strings add intense emotion to the stirring vocal delivery which closes the album’s curtains with a declaration of hope:
“I will find fire and the strongest desire,
To carry my torch of belief”.
Two songs just missing out for Favourite Track create a Blues battle of sorts between Cade’s deep Southern delight ‘The Glitter Around Your Eyes’ versus the anthemic ‘Rocking Horse Blues’.
The former, complete with fluid Guitar twangs and keys, lulls us into thinking this song could not be any more perfect, until spirited strings dance in alongside soulful vocals from Ms Muggeridge, rendering it one heck of a bluesy ballad!
Then there’s the latter, a catchy, acoustic, Country journey which has you singin’ along and marching down life’s dirt track finding the inspiration to “ride strong”.
Onto the top slot and ‘Little Secret’ is an epic, apocalyptic track with a pulsing, hypnotic beat building up, leaving me in an imagined atmospheric dance trance state!
It’s a quest for freedom, remaining true to yourself and to “take flight, but you hold tight of that little spark of who you are”.
I can’t help but be really moved by this whirlwind introduction to Jack Cade via ‘Bewilderment’.
It’s actually his fourth album to date, his previous release ‘The Death Throes Of A Faded Empire’ (a favourite with RMHQ) began this enlightened, creative new era and long may it continue.
Catching a live performance is firmly on my beach bucket list for the New Year now.
Trust us, go listen, go see……..”ride on”.
Review by Anita Joyce
Released January 26th 2024
https://www.jackcade.com/
BUY DON’T SPOTIFY
https://jackcade.bandcamp.com/album/bewilderland
The Rocking Magpie 