JOHN JENKINS
Tuebrook
For the uninitiated, Tuebrook is an area of Liverpool, the stomping grounds of a young Master Jenkins and responsible in many ways for making him the man and the musician he is today. Although not entirely dedicated to reminiscence of youth, there is a strong thread throughout the album, which gives a sense of unity, even if the subject matter drifts from the title! What helps cement the feeling of gentle reminiscence and reflection that runs through the songs is not only the way that the words and the delivery perfectly suit the material, but also the musical accompaniment, which borders on sparse, giving room for the words to deliver the thought behind the songs and sparing use of percussion which accentuates without dominating.
All of the above is well illustrated by opener ‘Shadows’ a musing on the decline of the area which at one time was most of our world but the transition from then to know is thoughtfully expressed on the second track, ‘Christopher Roberts’. On the surface, a personal story of a childhood friend, with whom contact was lost and the wonder of what the intervening 50 years has brought and given him. Focused on the one individual, it still manages to address a universal feeling that so many of us will experience, triggered by fleeting memories of times well spent, of scrapes and adventures and a time when everything seemed possible.
Do not be lulled into imagining that this is to be a self-indulgent hymn to lost youth, all the personal songs have a resonance beyond the artist but there is also room on the album for imaginings beyond the Tuebrook state of mind – with John using his songs and poetic lyricism to tell stories of lost love and regret, in the case of ‘43 and Counting’, from the viewpoint of a woman abandoned for a younger version and questioning her life choices – a questioning looking back on life theme explored from a more personal view in ‘Passing Time’, which if there is to be a criticism, could have neatly and appropriately offered a conclusion to the, especially allied to the emotional echoes of children’s voices from his old school on the final track .Mr Ford’s Hardware Store’ a playground chant in honour of one of the neighbourhood shops that would sell everything that you could think of, and a few more items besides.
In between all this, there are nods to both John’s imaginings and love of Americana (a fondness he shares on his own radio show that features a range of local to international acts), combined in ‘Idaho’, taking inspiration from Iris Dement, borrowing musically from the traditional song ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ and combining a fascination with American place names and the romance they conjure, with a drifting and story telling imagination. As the excellent liner notes hint at, it’s harder to be inspired by Goole and Worksop and while The Devil may have gone down to Bootle, it’s hard to imagine a songwriter from Georgia wishing to tell us about it.
So there we have it, an interesting view of life near and far, real and imagined, fondly remembered and deeply regretted. Is all human life here? Well have a listen and make up your own mind – and not a bad way to pass some time!
