Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC*, Ruf Records RUF1216 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

The third album from 23-year-old British blues guitarist Jones opens with a bang, as the band slams into ‘What’s It Gonna Be’, and from there on in the pace doesn’t let up until the closer ‘Stop Moving The House’, taking in along the way a duet with Sandi Thom on the more reflective ‘Don’t Look Back’, and Jones’ labelmate Dana Fuchs deploying her considerable pipes on a cover of ‘Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love’. As a vocalist Jones is an excellent guitarist, and while this album isn’t the last word in subtlety, being more about slam, drive and soaring guitar solos, while the occasional downbeat track sounds rather too AOR, it does its job effectively enough. The rhythm section has real weight and drive, while Jones’ guitar powers out of the mix just as you might hope it would. But somehow I still can’t help hearing the opening of ‘Evil’ and thinking ‘Devil Gate Drive’… AE

Sound Quality: 80%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Keen though I am to promote this album’s charitable association, the content itself is evidently compromised. Sure, it’ll cause the 96kHz LED to glow but it looks like an upsampled 48kHz file with corrupted/clipped samples. PM