Lately there's been a lot of hype surrounding the name Jake Bugg, so I decided to look him up. An 18 year old singer-songwriter from Nottingham, who has just released his first single Two Fingers. It's impressive for a first single and I was surprised to see actress Vicky McClure (best known for her role as Lol in Shane Meadows' This Is England trilogy) star in the video.
However, something has been grinding at me. Personally, I don't think his single is as brilliant as reviews have made it out to be. Yes, he's only 18 and is writing his own material, which is brilliant. In an interview with the NME, Bugg notes that he considers it his job to keep "X Factor shit off the top of the charts". But just because he writes his own music doesn't mean we should automatically drop at his feet in admiration - there has always been generic, empty, money-making music littering the airwaves, just as there have always been artists who pride themselves in creating their own work. And most good artists start young, Steve Winwood, for example, wrote hit single I'm a Man at the tender age of sixteen. His age and the fact that he writes himself shouldn't be the main subject of reviews and judgement - the music itself should be and sadly, the opening verse seems dull and uninspired to me.
"I drink to remember, I smoke to forget, Some things to be proud of, Some things to forget", seems too cliché and the vocals themselves are fairly droning and repetitive. The song picks up a little once it hits the chorus, but I wouldn't describe it as anything awe-inspiring. His song (the subject matter in particular) is very reminiscent of bands such as The Jam or The Arctic Monkeys - a kind of social commentary of working class life. However, Bugg's single is platitude and lacks the wit and relatable nature of songs such as Start! or Dancing Shoes.
I'm not doubting Bugg's talent. He's just starting out and he has an amazing amount of potential - a likeable voice and the beginnings of some good ideas - I can see his work developing into musical brilliance. But let's not all crown him the next Bob Dylan or Paul Weller just yet.