It’s an odd quirk that on the night I’m writing this, I’m going to see The Quireboys, and next week I’ll be watching The Almighty twice.
Back in about 1992, I’d been through my hair metal phase (that’s a lie, I never really left it), was never mad into grunge (Alice in Chains apart), and there were four English bands I adored: the two aforementioned, plus Thunder and Little Angels.
So it is that whenever I get anything by Toby Jepson—the latter’s lead singer—I get very excited. His “return to rock” (if you’ll forgive the cliché) with Wayward Sons a few years ago was wonderful, and this solo project is ambitious too.
Three EPs, 20 songs. Dealing with mental health and recovery means that this is a project that is clearly important to Toby, given that he chooses to narrate the first track. During it, he talks about “the eclectic nature of the three recordings” and claims that it is a “positive treaty between myself and the world.”
Sometimes rock n’ roll means more, right?
And moreover, over the course of the next 20 minutes and six more songs, he makes good on both of those statements. But at the same time, only Toby Jepson could make these songs.
“Alone With You” is a slice of screeching rock n’ roll that sounds like Alice Cooper jamming with the Little Angels on their stuff, but the second one, “Sweet Smell Of Success,” comes from a different place: a 70s, almost Elvis Costello energy, but mixed with horns. It’s quite something, but he always understood how to write a chorus, and this definitely has that.
“What Will It Take” is a big old ballad, with strings like ELO, but with trademark cleverness: “Innocent until you prove a point that you rely upon,” he sings here.
“Throw It All Away” mixes everything Toby has done for the last four decades and makes it 2024. It’s a gem.
This eclecticism is more wide-ranging than you might have expected. “One Track Mind” has a waft of the Jersey Shore, as per Southside Johnny, and that’s before “The One Turns Out The Light” nails country.
“It’s hard to find the words to this, the more I try with my ham fist.”
Look, nothing Toby Jepson does is ham-fisted, but self-deprecation never hurt anyone, did it?
Instead, all that “Look Out! Vol 1” does is reaffirm what a wonderful talent Jepson is, and given the subject matter and also the scope of the material, this is very brave too.
Rating: 9/10
REVIEW: TOBY AND THE WHOLE TRUTH – LOOK OUT! VOL 1 (2024)
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