Hailing from the East End of London, Tommy Jones grew up listening to his old man's recorded collection; Johnny Cash, The Beatles and proper blues music from the likes of Leadbelly, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. Later he fed his musical appetite a diet of Brit pop from The Verve to Oasis and Stone Roses and decided to pick up a guitar and write his own material.
His debut album, The Truth Will Out, was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios and mastered at Abbey Road and takes its title from a Shakespeare quote that inspired Jones to write about those closest to him. Some that have passed and not forgotten and some that are still with him on his journey.
Musically the album is a fusion of all his influences from across the years. Tell Me Something Someone is based around a blues style riff with a melodic indie twang. Maybe it Was Always You takes the form of a Guns N' Roses style ballad. Jones is at his best when following the rhythms of Brit pop and R and B as demonstrated in the percussive 5:15 and the guitar based anthem The Dreams I Say.
Jones' influences are perhaps a little too evident at times, but this is something that will probably disperse with every release. Songs like I Only Need Myself and Spread Your Wings indicate his individual sound and there's no doubt that he has an ear for a well constructed melody and his lyrics come from a place of truth.
Groupie Rating 3/5
