Jake Bugg could use a hug. On Alamo, his dark seventh album, the British troubadour unburdens his soul, and it’s not pretty. Despondence, anger, and insecurity overwhelm his spirit, spurring this gentle singer to attempt something akin to an exorcism, much the way a blues performer might respond to hard times by letting it all out.
A star in England since 2012, when the teenage Bugg released his debut album, he has previously worked with such high-profile producers as Dan Auerbach, Rick Rubin, and Andrew Watt. Now, he’s left the major-label scene and traded the noisier approach of 2024’s A Modern Day Distraction for a folk- and country-shaded sound, all the better to pursue introspective insights. Producer Jimmy Hogarth sets these probing meditations against an unobtrusive backdrop.
Dominated by melancholy ballads, Alamo gets off to a glum start with “When the Night.” Bugg confesses, “When the shadows fall to the floor / I find myself wishing I was someone else,” and asking, “Why am I feeling older?” as well as “Why am I so lonely?” Showing signs of an early-onset midlife crisis, he succumbs to helpless despair throughout the album, often triggered by romantic disaster. In the title track Bugg watches a lover leave without saying goodbye, sighing, “I don’t know why / She doesn’t care,” while “Drop in the Water” admits, “I’m just looking for someone to save me / From this heart of mine.”
