Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Authenticity is a road few will travel along for longer than is necessary, eventually the lure of the beyond will transform the route being marched into one of golden pavements, of light feet, and fierce love from all; but to stay true to yourself, your ethic, to be genuine and faithful, is to be trusted without question; it is after all your name that is on the cover, your own stamp on the skin, and all will look to that for reassurance in times when others are happily circling the drain.
Jared James Nichols is a name of trust, Old Glory & The Wild Revival and Black Magic thrust the musician into the spotlight, the various E.P. releases have cemented the thrill and the candid performance, and now in the album bearing his name, the sense of unaffected honesty, of truth and untarnished veracity of spirit.
To attach your name to anything is a sign of sincerity, of belief in your powers, your stance, and, in the great vase of life as an artist, your own consideration on the path you have undertaken. To do takes a tremendous amount of humility and drive, for the finished article must as be as steeped in reality for the artist; and for certain, Jared James Nichols accomplishes that with aplomb and with style.
Across tracks such the opener My Delusion, the effective and insightful Down The Drain, Bad Roots, Good Time Girl, Shadow Dancer, and the fantastic Skin ‘n Bone and Saint Or Fool, Jared James Nichols releases a sound onto the listener that is as wild and free, as it is like an arrow fired by an Olympic archer, straight, true, and completely to the point.
The Nashville based musician appears at the doors of a new year, the eyes focused on the road ahead, temptation avoided, the hands and mind working with the sincerity of his heart to deliver an album that is as beautiful as it is dramatic; pure bliss in music form, a sign that the year is capable of outstanding theatre and joy.
Jared James Nichols self-titled third full length album will be released on January 13th via Black Hill Records. Ian D. Hall