ALBUM OF THE WEEK- Jacopo Pausa- The Truth

Jacopo Pausa is a twenty-one-year-old singer/ guitarist, hailing from Italy. Pausa first was inspired by Mark Knopfler ( Dire Straits) to pick up the instrument at the age of Seven. The musician exhibits some of the characteristics of the much-revered guitarist in his songwriting approach and fingerpicking technique. He has recorded and self- produced his first album, a collection of Nine tracks based on real facts, called " The Truth", which was published in December of last year.

The album showcases a mixture of well-crafted blues numbers, folk songs, and dreamy pop that is as thought-provoking; as it is easy to listen to. Pausa recorded this album himself at ML Produzioni studios in Milan. The musician was able to achieve this in two months with a broken pinkie, which makes it more remarkable. The album combines texture and differing mood changes, along with Pausa's reflective tones, and intelligent lyrics to produce an underrated record, that promises so much more.

Opener " Wild North"  is an optimistic start that combines sweet melodies with the effortless ability on guitar to pick notes at a mid-tempo with such a tight rhythm to evoke an emotional response from the singer, which builds to a searing guitar solo that ignites memories of electric blues guitarists like Knopfler and Clapton. Pausa himself shows a knack for writing a stripped back blues track that doesn't heavily rely on flashy guitar play, but a basic structure to wheen the listener in

THE TRUTH drifts through upbeat pop tracks before That's Not Easy ,  another powerful track that looks at struggles with what I perceive about judgment. This roots blue track has a slick slide guitar riff with excellent phrasing that builds to a satisfactory finish. Pausa's songwriting improves with each track as he is able to add different touches to his music.

Underwear is a fun track with some shuffle blues with a good ol' rock 'n' roll feel ala George Thorogood. The blazing keyboards act as a welcome accompaniment to  Pausa's vocals, which really mature on this song, as it suits his more laid back demeanour; as opposed to more feelgood pop ones.

Memories is an enchanting track full of melodies and reminiscence. The singer talks about a childhood that really comes to life here. This folk ballad's syncopated rhythms and guitar fill between verses leave the listener thinking of their own past. Pausa's father adds a nice touch at the end with a harmonica instrumental passage that evokes memories ( excuse the pun) of Bob Dylan.

The Title track is a more melancholic affair with further tales of a young man working through poverty to achieve a dream. Pausa's vocals are intimate, while showing talent as a great storyteller, as he opens up about those said struggles. The lyricist is able to achieve this through the overall textures and tones that feel personal, which invites the listener to share his woes.

Mad World closes with the vocalist sharing duties with his mother. This folk track has the seventies feel with each verses trading off one another. Pausa's fingerpicking and basic chord progressions is a fitting end to an album that feels like a biographical insight into a musician's mind and life. The track compares the love of a family inside a manic world we have inhabited.

 Overall, I felt The Truth was a welcome surprise to my email account. The songs are a mixture, of love, sadness, happiness and hope from a musician with an innate ear to detail and an ability to tell stories through well-crafted musicianship and storytelling

. I would give this a listen when you have time. Pausa has the potential to produce more albums like this one
THE TRUTH was released on December 27th, 2019 and is available via all good music platforms, including Spotify.



THE TRUTH You can here the album via the link here.


You can find out more information about the artist by following these social media accounts below;
https://www.facebook.com/jacopopausa/

https://twitter.com/jacopopausa
https://www.instagram.com/jacopopausa/?hl=en

ARTIST OF THE WEEK- Tom Auton- Blues Train

                                                                               Words Were Written By Anselm Anderson 

Tom Auton is no stranger to these pages. I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing the then-teenage guitar prodigy from Cardiff a couple of years back. At the time,  I mentioned that he could become a star with more tracks like his first single " Stay", which you can read in the link below;  https://anselmanderson.blogspot.com/2018/09/tom-auton-stay-single-review.html.

He is now back with his latest single " Blues Train", an infectious, bluesy number oozing with the same swagger and bravado as his aforementioned track. Tom Auton is a young singer/songwriter that has had an accomplished career thus far. He has slowly gained a reputation across the UK Music scene with his performances, having already sold out his first headline concert in his hometown of Cardiff. The musician can also add to his expanding accolades of entering the top 8 of Fender's Undiscovered Artist of the Year, as well as finishing in first place at the UK Open Mic and Future Music Songwriting Competitions.

The guitarist, influenced by Royal Blood and John Mayer, delivers another part of his repertoire with " Blues Train". The track begins with Auton's familiar high pitched vocal cords which blend into the fiery overtones of distorted guitar. The blues induced theme is easy to listen to without any need for complex rhythms, or overtly personal lyrics. The track retains its simplicity with a catchy chorus, that can sound commercialised, but the guitar playing more than makes up for it. The production is as slick as Auton's vocals are smooth. The track has a determined edge that keeps the listener informed before it fires into a solo that ascends like a whirlwind collecting leaves on the ground. The song is a well-written track that tries to abstain from sounding formulaic with lyrics that act as a metaphor for the importance of music to the musician.

I feel the singer is best with this style of music, as he is a talented musician and writer. This writer would like to hear more tracks like this one from this fast-emerging young star.

" Blues Train" is now available via all major download and streaming sites.

Please click on the link here to listen to the track ( The blue writing should take you through to the video)

You can follow the artist via these social media accounts www.facebook.com/tomautonmusic & www.twitter.com/tomauton.