Jersey Budd
Wonderlands

Leicester songsmith heralds the start of Summer with exciting debut.

Nowadays, when someone tells you about a great new singer songwriter they've discovered, you'd be excused for letting out an exasperated sigh. Between messrs Blunt, Morrison and Nutini, music fans have been inundated with 'the next big thing' in British songwriters. However, judging by his debut LP 'Wonderlands', 25 year old Jersey Budd is set to stand apart from the crowd.

From the punchy opening riff of 'Visions of You' through to the swelling string accompaniment on closing track 'Blind Man', the Leicester native proves to be more E Street Band rather than Showadawaddy, a fact we can all be thankful for.

It's on single and standout track 'She Came Back' where Budd's Paul Weller meets Americana blues hybrid is exemplified in terrific fashion. With Kasabian frontman and fellow Leicester lad Tom Meighan providing backing vocals (all for the princely sum of four… more »

Jersey Budd
Wonderlands

Leicester songsmith heralds the start of Summer with exciting debut.

Nowadays, when someone tells you about a great new singer songwriter they've discovered, you'd be excused for letting out an exasperated sigh. Between messrs Blunt, Morrison and Nutini, music fans have been inundated with 'the next big thing' in British songwriters. However, judging by his debut LP 'Wonderlands', 25 year old Jersey Budd is set to stand apart from the crowd.

From the punchy opening riff of 'Visions of You' through to the swelling string accompaniment on closing track 'Blind Man', the Leicester native proves to be more E Street Band rather than Showadawaddy, a fact we can all be thankful for.

It's on single and standout track 'She Came Back' where Budd's Paul Weller meets Americana blues hybrid is exemplified in terrific fashion. With Kasabian frontman and fellow Leicester lad Tom Meighan providing backing vocals (all for the princely sum of four cans of Fosters), Jersey channels The Modfather through his hero Bruce Springsteen as he sings "Don't you take them away from me/They're my dreams, they're all I have" before blasting out a few 'sha la la ley's' for good measure. It's a song that acts as proof that 'Wonderlands' is very much a Summer album.

The sunkist guitars continue on 'Bright Soul', a song which doesn't so much as give you that upbeat Summery feeling, but rather puts your flip flops, sunglasses and straw hat on for you and cracks open a bottle of Cider at the same time. Forget that repeated sha la la la's may not be the deepest or most sensible lyrics in the world, they're incredibly apt for this record and only heighten the sense of enjoyment you get out of listening to it.

This sense of enjoyment is echoed in Budd's playing. From being a plumber one minute to playing Glastonbury the next (albeit a year later than planned after a traffic jam caused him to miss his slot last year), Jersey has every right to be enjoying himself right now. Through his Bandstocks record deal (which sees fans invest in an artist for a percentage of profits from future album sales) he received investments from the likes of Kasabian and The Music to further enhance his reputation, not to mention gaining the approval of a certain Noel Gallagher in the process.

It's latest single 'Shotgun Times' which provides the album's slow number. The wasted southern rock melodies complete with horn and string arrangements sound like they should be accompanying a drive across Route 66.

So even if the Great British weather refuses to be sociable this Summer, 'Wonderlands' will not fail in keeping your spirits high. It may be the wisest eight pounds you spend all Summer.

Rating: 4/5