John Jenkins is releasing a
new album with an old feel! Growing
Old (Songs from My front porch) has a theme running through it of
reminiscing, of memories. The whole feel of the album reflects this, including
the choice of instruments, with piano, soft violin, brushes on drums and
strummed acoustic guitar. In a modern
world of Spotify and single-only releases an album such as this can be savoured
as a whole piece of work, and allows the mood to flow through all of the tracks
so that rather than being 12 songs (plus a bonus) it is essentially one piece
telling a fuller story.
Opening with Growing Old
the tone is immediately set, and the tone of this song is cleverly set by the
gentle, brushed drums ad words “I’m growing old” sung slowly, drawn out. He’s looking back over his life; he doesn’t
like growing old but he accepts it. Daniel White shows off John’s
storytelling voice, continuing the theme of looking back, using an almost
martial drumbeat to talk about Daniel White’s time in the military, the violin
emphasising the emotion, as we are asked to consider looking at what used to be
there.
Heartlands
uses an old house for a metaphor for a life, a relationship and for moving on
while A Mothers Devotion tells the story form a mother’s point of view
wondering of she somehow affected how her son turned out in a way she didn’t
want. The haunting mandolin in the long intro to this song lends a real folk
feel.
The Mountain Between Us introduces
the stunning voice of Siobhan Maher-Kennedy (River City People) as a couple
discuss their relationship and the mountain that seems to be obstructing their
happiness, with a wonderful upturn at the end as they agree to climb that
mountain together.
Bear Lake County is
a little more up-tempo, but about a guy with a past, a secret he is hiding from
and a family he has lost – so he drinks, he works, and he hopes that someone
will say a prayer “for his daddy’s son”. Dying By Inches is regretting a
society where things always seemed better in the past and has a simply gorgeous
harmonica solo, Jacksons Farm was the first single and the storyteller is looking back on a love, on a life,
remembering how it was with memories all around him, while A Wiser Man Than
Me sees our storyteller seeking advice from someone who has walked the same
roads – but that man is himself in the mirror.
I’m almost Over You is a simple arrangement of a tale of getting over someone – but
still missing their presence in your life and by contrast I’m Coming Home is
an everyday story of a love that has lasted many years, with many memories but they
are still together. A reflective but
uplifting song. The album’s story ends
with The
Last Song which, according
To John’s sleeve notes, is actually inspired by a bird singing for its mate
year after year – and yet it can so easily be about anyone who feels like they
too are just whistling in the woods looking for whatever it is they are hoping
for. The flute on this track is simply superb.
Finally, we get to I Just
Don’t Care (Bonus Track) - quite bouncy compared to the rest of the
album! A fun little song about not
worrying about what’s happening in the wider music world, not poring over
charts and festival listings and it makes for a fabulous encore on the album!
Growing Old (Songs From My Front Porch), the new album from John Jenkins is available on all major platforms from 15 May
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