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• Reviews & Spotlights
Jared James Nichols: Self-Titled
The first time we ever watched Jared James Nichols perform live we thought "this guy in a lot of ways embodies both Page and Plant". After listening to the twelve tracks on his most recent self-titled release we can expand that idea to include Sammy Hagar and EVH, too. You see - the Wisconsin native now working from a Music City home base - is both a dynamic frontman and expressive guitar player.
Now, we don't want to blow up JJN's head with these lofty comparisons. This young man is already big enough - so much so - that at a recent appearance at Gibson Brands headquarters his pickup bandmates started calling him "Thor" for his stature and Viking-like good looks. But, Jared does ply his trade within the confines of guitar centric hard rock and blues - and he does it well. To that end he was named the #1 "young gun making the Gibson Les Paul cool again" by Guitar World.
As for the songs - JJN reminds us most of the Red Rocker on "Easy Come, Easy Go" before slowing it all down just a bit only to watch it all go "Down The Drain". Now, these two song titles along with others like "Bad Roots", "My Delusion" and "Saint or Fool" imply a worrying dose of dark fatalism - especially for such a charismatic artist with an abundance of vitality and a seemingly bright looking future.
But, Jared told us he is friends with Joe Bonamassa and it was the guitar icon who recommended the younger six stringer plant his flag in Nashville. The genre that Joe is best known for isn't necessarily known for happy songs with the cheeriest of subject matters. So, in light of that fact the tracks on Jared James Nichols self-titled album make perfect sense. But don't expect a traditional approach to the material. Because, this surely is blues rock that pushes the needle to the red.
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Review by Rockin' Rich Lynch |
Jared James Nichols
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