Laurence Jones - Temptation (2014)

1 	Foolin' Me 	
2 	Move On 	
3 	Tomorrow Is Another Day 	
4 	Temptation 	
5 	Can't Keep Living Like This 	
6 	Whisper In The Wind 	
7 	Fall From The Sky 	
8 	My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble 	
9 	Southern Breeze 	
10 	Wind Me Up 	
11 	Bad Bad Dream 	
12 	Soul Swamp River

Acoustic Guitar – Mike Zito
Bass Guitar – Charlie Wooton
Drums – Yonrico Scott
Harmonica – Johnny Sansone (tracks: 3, 12)
Organ [B3] – Lewis Stephens (tracks: 10)
Percussion – Yonrico Scott
Piano – Mike Zito
Vocals – Laurence Jones 

Following the success of his debut album, Thunder in the Sky, Laurence Jones has emerged with a new collection of fresh material. Released in February, Temptation avoids the clichés usually associated with a second album and instead showcases Jones as a strong artist with an arsenal of electrifying songs. On his first release for Ruf Records, Jones finds himself creating songs he feels are relatable for his audience. “I wanted people to see the meaning and the stories I’m getting across in these songs. You see a lot on tour and that’s great for songwriting, as I can share my experiences,” explains Jones. It’s clear Jones is searching for an interaction, or at least a reaction.

Temptation has quite an eclectic mix of emotions buried in its tracklisting, and at times the album feels more like a collage than an ordinary album. Of course, this isn’t a bad thing. “Foolin’ Me” appropriately starts off this record with a blaze, singing, “Walkin’ out the door/ walkin’ out on you/ don’t tell me how to live my life/ don’t tell me what to do.” It seems as if Jones is creating a manifesto of independence. In similar fashion, “Can’t Keep Living Like This” showcases Jones’ desire to escape from the pit-holes of normality.

The acoustic ballad “Whisper in the Wind” showcases the softer side of Temptation with personal lyrics reflecting on what appears to be lost love. This isn’t the only moment in the record dealing with the lust for women. On the albums sole cover song, “My Eyes Keep Me in Trouble,” Jones sings, “I want women on my left, women on my right/ Women all day, women all night.”

On album closer “Soul Swamp River,” Jones and his band take an epic blues journey while paying tribute to blues legend Muddy Waters, or maybe he’s just referring literally to muddy waters in the Soul Swamp River. Nevertheless, it feels like an intentional metaphor that helps place Temptation in the ever expanding blues timeline.

Jones proves throughout the course of Temptation that he’s a mature bandleader with a stellar ability to blast out some heavy blues riffs. This record is enjoyable from start to finish and it provides some interesting context for the start of this British bluesman’s career. Temptation has arrived, and its never felt so justified to give in. ---Ryan Artmann, bluesrockreview.com

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