2024 has certainly been full of surprises so far. What with One The Juggler releasing a fabulous new album in ‘Memoir Days’, now it’s the turn of their bassist, Jerry T Jones, to spoil us with twelve new songs. And it’s no surprise that they are of equal quality, given that he wrote ‘Talking To Ourselves’ and ‘Andy’s Bar’ on ‘Memoir Days’.

The opening song, ‘Only Time Will Tell’ crafts a beautiful tune that tries to remain optimistic in the face of climate disaster. While reminiscing about Bowie’s ‘Five Years’, the sound is more in line with The Kinks, perhaps not surprising given Jerry’s Kinks tribute band, The Konks. But, this is far from being a rip off; his canny use of influences is tempered by his own talent as a songwriter.

‘Demons Fly Away’ has echoes of classic Mott, and Colin Minchin’s solo has touches of Ronno, which is no mean feat. ’20 Years’ describes how songs can touch us and form part of our lives, with a keyboard sound that evokes John Grant. ‘Diamonds In The Rain’ namechecks Major Tom, and again there is a Ronno moment, this time on acoustic guitar, fleeting but classy.

‘Mood Swing/Time Bomb’ is in quirky, Cockney Rebel territory, while ‘Back From Tomorrow’ with its  slick pop stylings and barbed lyrics reminds me of The Dowling Poole. ‘Communal Sun’ starts off like Al Stewart’s ‘Year Of The Cat’, but with a more melancholy storyline. ‘She’s On A Trip’ is a slice of mature, summer pop, so dig out your espadrilles and enjoy. ‘Toy Town’ is a reworking of the One The Juggler song, with added sax, and ‘Sleep Over’ is a nicely woozy slice of gentle psychedelia, from sleep to new beginnings.

‘Second Skin’ almost sounds like it was written for Bowie, the vocal phrasing is such that you can imagine Dame David singing it. It’s a lovely tune. And, suddenly, ‘Just One More Song (Until We Meet Again)’ brings our journey to an end. Much more than the sum of it’s influences, ‘Back From Tomorrow’ is the culmination of a life devoted to music and songwriting that deserves your attention.

Author: Martin Chamarette