Teenage UK folk sensation Jake Bugg made few no friends during a bland but painless hour long set at Bowery Ballroom, Monday evening. With the simian cuteness of a young Liam Gallagher and, unfortunately, the stage presence of a young Gallagher, Bugg played songs off his UK # 1 debut album while the ex-pats sang along and the rest of us waited patiently for "Two Fingers" -the addictive calling card on the US 2012 released EP.
Fronting a three piece band, his guitar playing s clean and fluid and he can play blues riffs like a champ and his voice, while nasally, definitely helping with the Nottingham's Bob Dylan nametag, is quietly efficient. But Bugg is too unassuming, maybe shy, on stage. He doesn't make eye contact, he doesn't developed a relationship with he audience and he doesn't win em over… for the most part.
Sure, "Two Fingers" is a bore and the excellent "Trouble Town" disappoints, but the set has other moments, a terrific "Slide" near the end and the first song from the encore, the only time he gives his voice a serious workout=, album track "Broken" -the first time he has performed it live apparently.
The last song of of the set is a solid take on "Folsom Prison Blues" though the term precocious might have been invented for the cover. Indeed, the term precocious might have been made for Jake, with his dewey eyed prettiness in contradiction to working class yob literate lyric: "Stuck in speed bump city where the only thing that’s pretty is the thought of getting out , There's’s a tower block overhead, all you got’s your benefits and you’re barely scraping by." So not bad, right? But he doesn't sell them very well on stage and the set, while not exactly dragging, doesn't come to life either.
Bowery Ballroom was sold out but if anybody thought they were gonna be seeing the next big think might have to wait a little while, the kid has to grow into his role. Bland not bad. Talented lyricist, OK songwriter and singer, a miss on stage.
Grade: C
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