Simon RushworthJack J Hutchinson – Who Feeds The Lockdown (Psychedelic String Records)
Jack J Hutchinson was never going to let lockdown defeat him.
The singer songwriter has achieved too much in the last 18 months to simply disappear without a trace.
His work ethic wouldn’t allow for a fallow period.
And his constant craving for evolution meant there was only one solution: knuckle down and rock hard.
Who Feeds The Lockdown is a Hutchinson Best Of.
Re-recorded and reworked favourites redouble as a two-fingered salute to COVID-19.
And while those around him might have buckled under pressure, the bearded troubadour takes the challenge of a changing world on the chin.
Kiss Your Ass Goodbye feels particularly poignant in the circumstances.
And Hutchinson has never sounded more passionate as he punches through a muscle-bound version of a firm live favourite.
Remote recording hasn’t weakened the bond between the frontman and band mates Lazarus Michaelides and Felipe Amorim.
In fact, the trio has discovered a fresh sense of unity and purpose in pursuing a perfectly on-trend project.
It’s loud, proud…and pitched at a capacity crowd.
This set is what fans would have heard at festivals across Europe this summer.
And if Who Feeds The Lockdown can’t quite replicate the raw power of a sweaty tent in the middle of summer then it doesn’t lack ambition.
Set closer War Pigs allows Hutchinson to rock harder than normal (although a visceral version of Haunted Bones is another heavy hitter).
And it’s little wonder the Sabbath fan has found himself on Zakk Wylde’s radar in recent months.
Who Feeds The Lockdown still leans on the blues.
But it feeds off some of the heaviest, hungriest, hottest riffs Hutchinson has delivered to date.
Purists will love the retro-fuelled purple vinyl version of an album rich in classic 70s grooves.
And they’ll love the attention to detail, the determination to deliver and the dutiful reimagining of some JJH classics.
Who Feeds The Lockdown triumphs in adversity.
It’s a record for now and an album for the future.
No wonder the NWOCR movement is hanging its hat on gentleman Jack.
