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Pause For Thought: Review of Saviours Of The City by Jake Bugg

Updated: Apr 27, 2020


📷 by Callum Robinson


There were going to be some bona fide off-the-map gigs this year before lockdown hit. It all started with such tantalizing promise: Fontaines D.C. kicked off in January, kings The Strokes even managed to grace us with their presence. Selling out a total of nine shows around the UK, stopping at The Roundhouse and hometown a show at Nottingham Rock City, was indie lyricist Jake Bugg. It was always expected that it would be a more chilled occasion, but the audience was engrossed.

Like many a deep singer-songwriter around the globe, fame is not what Bugg craved; it was all about writing songs to pour out those emotions that we just can't find the right words to say in conversation. At only 26 years old, he’s already stacked up four albums, his last, Hearts That Strain, was impressively produced by The Black Keys Dan Auerbach. We also can’t forget when he headlined Newcastle’s Hit The North festival, where the city's venues share the common goal of celebrating quality, emerging music.

After singing to RCA Records, a new dawn was upon us. Single Kiss Like the Sun was aired at the end of the year, receiving a Hottest Record play via Annie Mac on Radio 1. This was co-written with Post Malone’s Andrew Watt and the video produced in the attractive looking city of Kiev. As part of that new creative vigour, Saviours Of The City was co-written with pal ONR, and was a track that had no release date in mind, but Jake felt like it resonated with the situation we are all facing right now.

The song is uncomplicated offering a folk feel in its style. It’s mostly guitar and his distinguished voice, and short in length at just over two minutes long. Neither sorrowful nor jolly, it’s good just to take some time and out listen to this calming tune, which is different to the country vibes of Kiss Like The Sun, yet still has that nifty guitar playing. Lyrically, the song proclaims, “We were born to be Saviours of the city. We were never meant to free.” It shows us that we all have responsibilities, which were always destined for. You can see why in current times, this could apply to us by working together to protect our cities and the people in them.

When listening to the thoughtful number, it makes me visualise the L.S Lowry painting Coming Home From The Mill, which was a quiet place for my mind to wander to. The orange tones, everyone heading home after a hard day's work, and subtle feel of both the tune and image complement each other. There are more tracks to follow from Jake soon, with this one giving pause for thought for his faithful fans.


Article by Beverley Kni

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