After a moving concept album about love and the associated singer/songwriter excursion ("Unspoken", 2016), vocal prodigy Andy Jones is a genuine rock lead singer on his second solo album. And this despite the fact that the new songs radiate the same warmth and intimacy as their predecessors. Or even more. "Shield" is poetic, personal and powerful.
There are great rock anthems again ("The Man I Was Before") and catchy riffs ("Your Wish"), but also songs that nestle against strings ("Don't Come To Me", "Love Of My Youth") and warm trips to the folk campfire ("Parting Promise"). There's no better rock vocals than Andy Jones. With a strong voice he creates visions of life and love ("Love Of My Youth", "Automatic") and sings about fatherhood ("Anticipation", "Shield") and false friends ("Camouflage", "Don't Come To Me").
He also sings political songs - songs about animal and human rights ("Better than This", "I See You"), about the refugee crisis and its causes ("Karim", "Will We Ever Learn?"), and about political indifference of the people ("The Man I Was Before"). And amazingly, the forays into world affairs are just as personal and human as all the other songs on "Shield".
Andy Jones delivers what has become very rare in today's music business: a flawlessly produced record that you don't just hear with your ears. What is unique about "Shield" is the emotional depth beneath the musically perfect surface, the inaudible but palpable doubts in the strong and firm voice. Fragility in an indestructible guise.
01 anticipation
02 Camouflage
03 Don't Come To Me
04Automatic
05 Karim
06 I See You
07 Better Than This
08 Your Wish
09 Love Of My Youth
10 shields
11 The Man I Was Before
12 Will We Ever Learn? (Bonus)
13 Parting Promise (Bonus)
