From Coatsville, Pennsylvania comes Alternative Singer/Songwriter Jiggley Jones who just released his latest EP (A Mountain, A Struggle, A Tunnel, A Light) in 2014 (Lamon records). Many of you are already aware how fickle this industry is. Right from the start it might be easy to just categorize Jones as some straight ahead folk rocker, and write him off as the newest trending thing around Pennsylvania. It wouldn’t be wise, though. Sure, if you listen to some of his more catchier tunes within this 6 song line-up that’s the impression one might get. However there is a method to his madness. There are some really good songs on “A Mountain, A Struggle, A Tunnel, A Light (EP)” that not only have substance but step outside the traditional “flash in the pan” modern-day folk-pop musical boundaries. Listen to the lead out Track (Walk on Me) and a few others (Look What I Found) and (Early Morning Light) for example to you will see exactly what I’m talking about. First: Jones can play, write and sing like nobody’s business. His voice has an amazing unique, warm and likeability factor to it. Second he recruited some really good musicians and production folk for this project as well. Thirdly Jones has other albums to his credit. All of the above sure go against the grain of modern “flash in the pan” pop and as a result really open up this classic album. This is not Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson of Maroon 5 either, it goes much deeper than that. It’s more like classic, Ash Grunwald, Xavier Rudd, Bob Iver, Fleet Foxes, Horse Feathers, The Decemnberists and Andrew Bird. There’s also a 70’s/80’s influence in there as well from Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills & Nash, America, Gordon Lightfoot, and even Bob Dylan. The CD goes full circle covering a wide range of emotional subject matter as well. This enhances the listening experience rather than limit it for me.
Jones is obviously experienced at performing and writing powerful music, but it’s the combination of all of the above that makes him so deadly. I mean, there is nothing here that really seems all that original or fresh, or that’s already been done before. Perhaps that is why he’s on our players in the first place. Forgive me if I’m talking in circles – but some bands and artists can deliver music that’s pretty straight forward, conservative and painfully simple yet brilliant in scope. Bottom line: they make it look so easy. Furthermore in lieu of the amazing string of songs Jones has delivered on “A Mountain, A Struggle, A Tunnel, A Light (EP)” xoupled with its amazing message, it almost feels as if he’s on to something, well special. This latest release from Jones is a one of a kind EP from a one of a kind artist that’s closely tied to classic folk, blues-rock-soul, but has a more modern light rock sound to it. Bravo to Jones for being himself, going against the pop grain and releasing powerful music.
URL http://jiggleyjones.com/wordpress/
Genre: Blues-Rock, Pop, Singer-Songwriter
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/…-mountain-struggle-tunnel/id860805273
Review by Jason Hardy edited by Joshua Beach. Approved by Michael Rand.
Review comments: joshuabeach9@gmail.com
