Jake Bugg takes us ‘Downtown’with his new single

Jake Bugg has always been an artist with an incredibly unique sound. 

He has a voice very similar to that of Bob Dylan and just like Dylan, he’s no stranger to a great hit.

 With tracks like ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘Two Fingers’ under his belt, he’s a heavyweight champion in the indie scene.

Jake’s new track, ‘Downtown' is a lot more mellow than what we’re used to hearing from him. He scraps the acoustic guitar for a grand piano, which reinforces the track’s more melancholic tone. 

The piano’s chord progression reminds me a lot of Carly Comando’s ‘Everyday’, which is definitely not a bad thing. There’s a slight reverberation on Bugg’s vocals, which gives the track a much grander scope and gives his voice a bit of a kick. Jake’s vocals have always been great and ‘Downtown’ puts them right in the centre stage. He’s got a great dynamic range and it is put to good use on this track. 

The track itself is about spending those long summer nights with a special someone – something most of us can relate to. It’s a happy song that manages to hit all the right notes, whilst still managing to sound surprisingly sombre. Though he’s written lugubrious tracks before, this time it's different. Tracks like ‘On my One’ were mellow but with a slight spur of motivation behind it; he was a poor boy from Nottingham, something he didn’t want to return to. ‘Downtown’ isn't like that, it's simultaneously happy and sad as it reminisces on good times with a special someone.

Jake Bugg is an artist that we’ve been hearing since 2012 and his tracks always hit home in a different way. Whether it’s ‘On My One’, ‘Lightning Bolt’ or even ‘Broken’, you know that Jake’s got you covered. Although ‘Downtown’ is a little different to what we’re used to with Bugg, it’s a welcome addition to his expanding catalogue of superb music.

Liam Russell

Image: Official Single Artwork