ARTIST: The Jamestown Union TITLE: The Jamestown Union LABEL: Grandcut Records GENRE: Folk-Rock TIME: 28:25 min SIZE: 44,3 MB RIP DATE: Dec-28-2006 RELEASE DATE: 000-00-0000 WEBSITE: n/a Track List: 01. It's All Me 03:09 02. Let In Let Out 02:50 03. Turning It All Around 03:21 04. Another Day 03:04 05. Early Rain 02:59 06. Ghosts 03:26 07. Please Release Me 03:20 08. When I'm Down 01:47 09. Country Girl 02:18 10. Make A Deal 01:41 11. Oh My Lord 00:30 Release Notes: One of the best things about Christmas is getting great presents, in particular unexpected ones. The Jamestown Union’s debut album is such a present. In fact it’s even better than that, because it’s not only great in itself, it holds out the promise of much further greatness to come. An astonishingly assured and hugely listenable debut album of alt.country pop, it’s one of the best things I’ve heard all year. This Brighton-based five piece have appeared from nowhere fully formed and delivered twelve tracks that put bands that have been around for far longer to shame. Every box is ticked: they play superbly, the vocals and harmonies are to die for, they swing as sweetly as you could wish, the lyrics are intelligent and thoughtful and they have hooks and tunes galore. But what’s more important is that they have originality and soul. If you haven’t got something new to say or a new way of saying it then you’re just wasting everyone’s time. Despite ploughing a furrow that would appear to have been exhausted a couple of aeons ago, despite nodding to Gram, Neil and the Jayhawks, they pass both tests with flying colours. You feel their songs as much as listen to them, as the insidious melodies of the likes of “Country Girl” and “Make A Deal” inveigle themselves into the core of your being. And the best bit is that just as you think it’s over and regretfully reach for the eject button, along comes the hidden track “Jackson Unplayed” to reveals itself to be as beautiful a piece of wistful melancholy as you’re ever likely to hear.