Jaywalkers - Move On

Jaywalkers first came to prominence via an appearance in the finals of the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2008. In the years since, the trio has built a solid following, effortlessly merging folk, country and bluegrass into their particular brand of English Americana via a combination of impressive musicianship, impeccable harmonies and a knack for identifying a good tune. Their latest album ‘Move On’, sensitively produced by Joe Rusby, is an impressive addition to their discography.

The trio of Jay Bradberry (vocals/fiddle/guitar), Lucille Williams (bass/vocals) and Mike Giverin (mandolin, guitar, vocals), who also handles the majority of the songwriting, have almost all of their basses covered. With a little help from some top talent from both sides of the pond, including the multi-award winning duo of Trey Hensley and Rob Ickes, who drop by to add guitar and dobro to selected tracks, Jaywalkers deliver a very enjoyable, crowd-pleaser of an album.

The trio do a fine job of mixing original material, instrumental tracks and the odd well-chosen cover. You’d think this might make for an uneven listen, but everything flows together seamlessly. Opening with ‘The Radio’, they ask a question that bands have probably been asking since the days of Marconi, “How do we get played on the radio?” The trio instantly hook the listener with a foot-tapping tune that highlights Jay’s lead vocal and some lovely, understated harmonies. ”How you break through, I’ll never know. I’ve never been played on the radio” Jay sings in a playful, tongue-in-cheek odd to the indie musician. The title track follows, with Lucille’s brother Stu Williams adding banjo to supplement Jay’s fiddle and Mike’s mandolin. ‘The Longest Day’ is up next and deals with the dangers of wildfires, which, with recent events in California, couldn’t be more newsworthy. Musically, the interplay between Jay’s fiddle and Rob Ickes dobro is welcome and sets the scene, and then some, for the intricately arranged ‘Gone Forever’ which might now be stealing the top spot on a record with plenty of contenders.

The two cover songs included are a take on Larry Cordle’s ‘Highway 40 Blues’, an early 80s hit for Ricky Skaggs, which features some particularly fine pickin’ and, of a much older vintage, a swingin’ jazzy take on ‘Ain’t Nobody’s Business’ which also works well highlighting Jay’s range and adaptability as a vocalist. Two impressive instrumental tracks add variety, with ‘Flight Of The Snipe’ showcasing the abilities of all concerned while the more languid, Celtic-influenced ‘Leaving Lerwick’ shows another side of the trio’s character.

Jaywalkers have a bit of a gem on their hands with ‘Move On’, and you can catch the band this spring as they promote the album throughout the UK.

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