(5 / 5)
UK singer, songwriter and guitarist Jack Broadbent has dropped one of the strongest roots albums of the year, in “Ride”, his sixth album.
The follow-up to his acclaimed 2019 release, follow-up to 2019’s “Moonshine Blue”, this LP really has to be heard if you don’t know this guy’s music, and if you do, you’ll already have this record and be lovin’ it, no doubt. If so, you have superb taste in music….
He nails a groove perfectly on the more rambunctious tracks and gets greasy and slinky when he digs deeper. For fans of the likes of the late John Martyn – and for admirers of all things rootsy, bluesy and above all else, all things classy.
The eight-track long player features previously released singles, the rather fabulous “Grace”, the blues-boogie of “Midnight Radio”, “I Love Your Rock ‘n’ Roll” and the grunged-up title track, “Ride” which opens the album.
His growling vocal sounds like a result of gargled gasoline (expensive habit these days!), but he can conjure up a more-velvety folk timbre when called for. His breathy more laid-back vocal style perhaps a wee bit reminiscent of the wonderful Colin Blunstone.
His fretboard skills on slide and guitar are virtuosic, but he never over eggs the pudding on that score. His finger picking very tasty indeed. A fine harmonica blower too.
Sweet slide licks and the irresistible groove make track three, “New Orleans” one of the must-hear cuts of the set. Next up, “Hard Living” slows the pace and is a good example of this guy’s quality song writing craft. The yearning slide solo adds just the right dollop of melancholy.
Jack Broadbent grew up in Lincolnshire but has spent the last few years living in Canada. His earliest influence was his father Mick, who is also a musician (including a tenure with late ’70s power-poppers Bram Tchaikovsky) and his dad plays bass on this album. Mark Gibson on drums.
Jack began accompanying Mick to open mic’ nights, and by his early teens was playing drums in his dad’s bands, gravitating to guitar when he became interested in song writing. His renowned slide guitar playing evolved from busking in his early 20s.
Jack has toured with heavyweight such as Ronnie Wood, Peter Frampton and, most recently, Little Feat. Jack smashed it at the recent Black Deer Festival in Kent in mid-June and has a slew of European dates with Richard Thompson in July.
- STOP PRESS: Jack has seven UK shows in June (2022), including London’s 100 Club on 21st.
By Christopher Weston
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’ (5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
