Teaming up with former college friend Andy Sharps on bass and Elliott Norris on drums and guitars to form a core trio, Luke Jackson has announced his fifth studio album ‘Journals’, to be released on November 8 via his First Take label. Accompanying the welcome news is a video for the album’s first single ‘Baby Boomers’.
The contemplative social commentary in the pithy single was triggered by the birth of Andy Sharps’ daughter – the first of Luke’s friends to become a father. Wondering how the world might change in her lifetime and talking about the changes they had already experienced in their own young lives was the impetus for this song. Says Luke: “With these thoughts, the unsettled political situation and a few grievances I had up my sleeve I channelled my inner Billy Bragg and came up with this song!”
The percussive track touches on everything from the price of education to stores closing in an online world and children’s loss of innocence. “They put knives in the hands of children/Tell then don’t go starting a war/Wouldn’t worry the way things are going/Soon there’ll be nothing left fighting for” it concludes.
As noted on his last studio album, Tall Tales and Rumours (2016), Jackson is not only an incredibly talented songwriter he can also master a live stage with an intensity and power that was conveyed in his 2018 album Solo | Duo | Trio. In his review of the latter album, Mike Davies concluded that “whatever format he works in, Jackson is one of the most dynamic and exciting live performers of his generation.”
Co-produced by Luke and Kent-based Dan Lucas (Anchor Baby Recording Co) Journals promises the offer his strongest set of songs to date – from moving ballads to out-and-out rock tracks – with deeper, fuller, layered arrangements.
Pre-Order Journals here: http://lukepauljackson.com/journals/
For Tour Dates visit: http://lukepauljackson.com/tour-dates/