JIGGERY POKERY REVIEW
First review in from The Ark of Music
“Paul Canning is a singer/songwriter from London. Amongst all of his accomplishments he has never supported Coldplay or written a song with Paul McCartney.”
The words from the artist’s own Facebook Page offer an immediate humor from this veteran of the stage who also adds…
“I have been singing and writing songs and in and out of bands for longer than I care to remember.”
His solo work includes 2007’s The Paper Planes EP, 2018’s The Outside Looking In, a literal library of other EPs & Singles, and of course, this year’s, Jiggery Pokery, a lively and spirited collection of yesteryear rock songs with undeniably sparkling personality which we can only assume comes from Canning himself.
“An idea in your head that came from nothing being played back to you by incredible musicians is truly something.”
HERE’S WHAT WE DUG MOST…
Opening with the album title track, Jiggery Pokery (a slang term which roughly means deceitful or dishonest behavior), Canning’s hand-crafted old-school brand of radio-rock feels like the Stones cut a track with Petty. The performance is crisp and the lyrics could only have come from a stage & music industry vet; a guy who perhaps has seen a bit too much—and still comes back for more…
“Angel of darkness why you calling
Like a siren singing out to sea
You’ve got your Saturday face on and I’m falling
Like an apple from a family tree
My mama told me to look out, oh yeah
For the butterflies around the rose
I’m in the business of messing up tonight
Then I’m never going back, going back
All this jiggery pokery…”
A lovely dedication to an undying love, The Ballad Of Mr. Pancakes, has a soft, mid-90’s college rock ambiance.
OUR FAVORITE TRACK…
Moving To The Moon is a straight infusion of pure, unadulterated Brit-Rock. At 2:18 we are reminded of what electric guitar solos once were…
“I just need some time alone
I’m movin’ to the moon…”
In a fine bit of contrast, the piano-centric, The Tears From The Stars, gently rolls its way across the center of the album leaving a delightfully Beatles-esque aftertaste as it departs.
The cathartic and encouraging, Part Of The Plan, leaves everything to faith and effort. Be sure to stick around for the climatically soothing vocal harmony at the conclusion.
Up until this moment, I’ve kept quiet about the Billy Joel-esque undertones I hear on this record. But no longer! Everybody’s Out For Themselves confirms this in composition, performance and writing! Well done!
Just when you think you’ve got Canning nailed down, he tosses the Dylan-styled, 100 Years, at you and ends the album with it, no less! Little more than an acoustic guitar and Paul’s crystalline vocal timbre carry the album to conclusion in this reflective and lovely confessional. (It’s just possible that Paul is a hopeless romantic—in the best of ways.)
IN CONCLUSION…
A vocal presence made for this genre. A blueprint-style yesteryear brand of rock’n’roll. A highly-entertaining instance of near-perfect technical production. Paul Canning’s latest album, Jiggery Pokery, shows a master-level of proficiency in every area of creation: composition, writing, instrumental & vocal performances, as well as production & engineering.
We’ve said it before on a number of occasions—the current electronic-musical movement is well and good. But it is always entirely refreshing to encounter a bit of music which was crafted by hand, using time-aged musical skill, a slow & patient writing process, and real computer-free instruments. This labored effort comes through in the music. The difference between creating and composing, VS. chopping and arranging—this has an end-result feel, a softness, an authenticity that is ultimately undeniable. Fans of that brand of singer-songwriter-rock will adore this album.
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
The Rolling Stones meet Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with just a dash of Billy Joel…
Review from https://thearkofmusic.com/paul-canning-jiggery-pokery
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Paul's new single 'Kid' is available now to watch & Stream!
NEW ALBUM - GASOLINE RAINBOW MILE
Paul Canning Releases New Album ‘Bandwagon’
‘Bandwagon delivers an expertly crafted collection of songs with countless melodies and hook’s at it’s core’. Singer songwriter Paul Canning entwines his musical background with his innate talent on his latest offering, ‘Bandwagon’. From portraying John Lennon in the West End’s ‘Let It Be’ production to touring with 10cc, Paul’s CV speaks for itself. He’s been taught by the best.
Songwriting is a skill that takes practice and time just like any other skill. An artist must be willing to keep writing and writing to get better. When the songs get good enough the next step is to bring them to other musicians to keep developing even further as an artist. We recently discovered Paul Canning who is a testament to growing songwriting skills. The London, England based singer-songwriter has performed all over the world within both the band setting and as a solo artist. Back in 2007, Paul Canning released his debut EP Paper Planes. Since then he has played the role of John Lennon in the West End production musical of ‘Let It Be’ building his performance skills. Just last year, Paul took on the lead singer role in pop-rock band 10cc to tour and gain invaluable experience. Back at home, Paul Canning wrote and recorded his newest full length album Jiggery Pokery. He brought the songs to Jo Webb (ELO band member) who co-produced them. Drummer Nick Oliver was brought in to mix the record into a full piece of sonic art. Taking his songs to others and working together to take them to the next level was something that Paul got pure joy from. This is the power of songwriting. The opening title track “Jiggery Pokery” starts off with an energy-filled party vibe that gets the listener into the right state of mind for an enjoyable journey. The fun continues in a different way with “The Ballad Of Mr. Pancakes” which he wrote for his children. Paul Canning shows off a vocal delivery that is smooth and elegant. The softness of the song feels like a warm blanket being wrapped around you. Paul Canning Is A Master Storyteller The album takes a quite experimental turn with “The No Hitter” based on former NY Yankee Doc Ellis throwing a no-hitter while supposedly high on Acid. Exotic sounds and beats seem to come from every angle as Paul’s lyrics paint quite an interesting image of what was going on in front of the pitcher’s eyes. We get a more bluesy piano and guitar based piece with “Everybody’s Out For Themselves”. Visions of Billy Joel come to mind as Paul Canning rocks this one with a raw energy that puts a pep in your step. For the closer “100 Years” Paul slows it down to deliver a real love song with just a guitar and his emotion filled voice. He has a way of creating images in the listener’s mind that brings you right into the story. Some fun guitar tones and effects add another element of imagination to the song. by Keith Pro Original article here .
Jiggery Pokery is out now! Thank you so much for all your support. It really means a lot to me x Available on: SPOTIFY Available on : APPLE MUSIC