Review: Jake Bugg goes pop on new album Saturday Night, Sunday Morning

: by Joe Sharratt; in Reviews; on 02 September 2021

When the then seventeen-year-old Jake Bugg burst out of the Nottingham suburb of Clifton and onto the Glastonbury stage a decade ago, with his tales of teenage life told in his distinctive and entrancing drawl, he was an almost instant sensation. As the hype built and his songs filled the airwaves, he seemed to be on the verge of becoming the UK’s defining indie star of the decade, a new Gallagher brother for the Snapchat generation.

However, Bugg’s career has meandered over the intervening years, the once clearly identifiable young star’s eagerness to experiment with different sounds – such as the rap elements incorporated into 2016’s On My Own or the stripped-back followup Hearts That Strain – either a sign of his loss of direction or refusal to standstill, depending on your point of view. There can be no real denying that nothing he’s released since his self-titled debut has come close in terms of its urgency and impact.

On the surface then, Bugg’s new and fifth studio album points to a possible return to his roots, with it’s name taken from fellow Nottingham-born writer Alan Sillitoe’s classic novel. Bugg himself, though, in the build up to the album’s release has talked about being influenced by classic pop music in writing and recording the album, so there’s a real sense of intrigue about what sort of Jake Bugg record we have here.

Opening track All I Need lays the cards on the table, from its string intro it quickly launches into a thumping pop number. It’s not by accident the opening lyrics of the album are: “Call me cynical, but original / Trying to fit into a world that’s so digital”. However, the effect is short-lived, as Kiss Like The Sun brings us back to more typical Bugg territory, a more obviously indie affair propelled along by a looping guitar riff.

About Last Night lays on the synths and sees Bugg elevating his vocals, but Downtown puts the breaks on again, a sweetly sparse piano ballad with a winding chorus. And this, in truth, sort of feels like the pattern of the album: the pop flourishes Bugg has talked about are definitely there, but each time you feel like he’s going to pick one up and run with it, Bugg steers the ship back to more familiar water. All of which sort of creates the feeling of Saturday Night, Sunday Morning being two different records, or two different sides of the same experience, perhaps another nod to the book from which the album takes its title.

The question of which ‘half’ you prefer is of course a case of personal taste, but Bugg deserves great credit here for interrogating another new approach into his songwriting, while still finding a way to craft the sort of track he first built his reputation on.

Of the songs that carry that pop influence, Lost is a strong contender for pick of the bunch, a bonafide, straight-up disco-tinged track that is supremely catchy, and comes with a video that perfectly captures the spirit of the song. Even if you prefer your Jake Bugg as the indie kid in the corner, it’s impossible to ignore that on this track, he’s perfectly channeled that pop essence he has spoken about.

Bugg himself has pointed to the final third as being his own favourite however. Writing on his official Facebook page, he said: “Scene is probably my favourite track from the new album - some proper Beatles guitar inspiration on that one. I feel like Lonely Hours comes in at the perfect moment to lift the energy back up, whilst Maybe It’s Today feels brings another dimension to the record.”

You can see why. Scene moves between solemn and psychedelic – it’s a beguiling offering, while Lonely Hours raises the tempo with it’s skidding guitars. Maybe It’s Today, Screaming, and the tender Hold Tight close the album in charming fashion, each feeling like the sort of song that Bugg would have played around his hometown in his early days.

Where Bugg goes next, we can only guess. But his determination to experiment, and his ability to still channel the feeling that ran through his early work is impressive.

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning tracklist: