Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Nobody should ever say to the young that their dreams and aspirations are not worth a dime, the phrase almost borders on child cruelty and deprivation and should be seen as such. To damn any child or teenager to the obscurity and a desire less world seems far too callous and controlling, even if they fail, they should fail under their own terms; not those set out by adults who find only black and white vision the perfect daily partner.
Thankfully in Jared James Nichols the early youthful promise was never seen to be held back and with so much richness in his ability and his already lengthy list of performances etched in stone underneath his name in large letters marks him out to be one of the sheer delights of the Blues Rock genre and in his new album Old Glory And The Wild Revival that delight is be celebrated and confirmed.
Like Joanne Shaw Taylor, age is no reason to dismiss the accolades and the purity of the music that drives the soul. Age after all is a number that keeps growing, it doesn’t mean that just because you’re 16 you’re no different than a 25 year old or 70 year old who has been burning the circuit for decades, if you’re good enough, you are more than old enough to pick up the guitar and break hearts and mend fences.
Subtly and exuberance of spirit rarely go hand in hand, what drives one, mistakes the other as a negative, a disapproving frown appearing on the reverse of the face of the artist which never really feels the same once encountered and yet in Jared James Nichols, the grandeur of the performance, the towering peak of the blues mountain range is effortlessly matched by the humility which comes through the album like a sheriff on his way to round up a posse in pursuit of a known wanted criminal, the righteous and the bold safe in the hands of one man.
In tracks such as Crazy, Now Or Never, Blackfoot and Haywire that presence is felt keenly. Humility and energetic brilliance are a hard act to keep contained but the young man from Wisconsin not only allows it breathe but takes of the leash and allows free-range, for he realises that the music will look after itself as long as the heart is pure. It is a defining moment for any musician when they allow that enthusiasm to growl like never before.
Old Glory And The Wild Revival is not just cool, it is served straight from the fridge, tasteful, elegant and with the touch of panache that any restoration of spirit demands.
Ian D. Hall