Perfection is a state of mind” sings Jack J. Hutchinson on “Days Are Gone”, the second song here. This is more mature. More worldly wise, than his previous work. “Keep your enemies closer” he offers here, as if putting down all he’s learned over the years onto tape.
This time around he’s worked with Josiah J Manning (Kris Barras) who also co-wrote everything and “Battles”, basically, is an album in the classic mould of the power trio.
“Constellations” the album opener relies on its groove and energy, and that groove is big, man! The solo alone is enough on its own to tell you that Jack J really enjoyed this.
And it seems he’s fighting here. “There’s a battle to be won” on “Bullets” and there are demons to overcome on the absolutely superb “Road To Hell”. That one is a little bit of a departure. Reminiscent of the aforementioned Barras’ early work, perhaps, it’s a signpost to the fact that JJH could basically do whatever he liked.
“Running On Empty” slows the pace a little, acting as the centrepiece of the whole thing, if you will.
However, the record and the man behind it both sound most at home when they’re racing around. I still think of records in terms of “Side 1” and “Side 2” (I’m a child of cassettes in the 80s!) and on that basis when you turn the tape over (remembering to spool to the end – and I’ve just lost anyone under 45) Side 2 makes its presence felt with the superb “Rip It Up”.
The one word you can use for this collection is “consistent”. There are no obvious dips in quality. Indeed, the more you listen to it (and I’ve listened to it a lot over the last month or so) the better it gets. The chorus for “Love Is The Law” underlines that, actually. All of a sudden you’ll find yourself singing it when you’re at work (this might be rather too autobiographical…..) and the good-time stoicism that is always present in Hutchinson’s music is most to the fore on “Don’t Let The Fuckers Get You Down”.
And if that’s his underdog anthem, and maybe that’s how he feels, then the simple fact is he’s too good for the underground. “Overdrive” would – if he was some over-hyped US outfit already have him selling venues out. There’s a skill here and a quality that you cannot ignore. And if we haven’t said JJH is a marvellous guitarist yet (because it’s something of a given) then the time to say it is just about now.
It all ends with a big old ballad. Southern rock-tinged, perhaps, but “Stay With Me” is British and very much in keeping with the record as a whole.
10 songs – and under 40 minutes so easily able to fit on one side of a C90 if we are able to torture the tape thing one more time. Yet it has a point, “Battles” is the type of record that is one of them that people would tape for their mates back in the 80s and go “Have you heard….? “You must hear…..”
Whatever the modern equivalent is (probably Spotify) then just listen to it, because Jack J Hutchinson is too good to go under the radar much longer.
State of mind or not, this is pretty close to perfect.
Rating 9/10
