Jake Smith - Real

Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

The road to releasing his debut album hasn't been an easy one for New Orleans singer/songwriter Jake Smith. However, the effect of Hurricane Katrina on his home town coupled with family illnesses have only served to strengthen the depth of feeling contained within this collection. Smith is a hard artist to pigeon hole - primarily due to the osmosis of musical influences that must have taken place growing up in the jazz capital of the world - and there is a healthy mix of styles on show here. The punchy opener "Get Up" features some gentle hip-hop whilst "Breakdown" and "Shady" are great rock songs in the same vein as the likes of Coldplay and Manic Street Preachers respectively. Elsewhere, Smith revels in the laid back funk of "What I Plan To Do" which features some fine Ray Charles-styled electric piano from Jared Morvant whilst "Real Love" is a slow burning blues number that will no doubt have been influenced by the wash of musical styles surrounding him as he grew up. References to God are subtle and it takes quite a few listens for the message to seep through. Smith's skill as a lyricist is never in doubt though and is perhaps most evident in songs such as "Can't Save Your Soul" - an updated exposition of Matthew 6:19 featuring references to the pointlessness of today's bling culture. All tracks have been penned by Smith himself and, together with the sharp production of Dan Strain and a tight backing band (the aforementioned Morvant on keyboards, Chris Arceneaux on drums and Darren Phipps on bass), this makes for a refreshing and eclectic album that acts as a fitting introduction to a promising artist.