The contemporary folk of solo artist Nomad Jones’s debut EP, brings to mind London’s Turin Brakes. Real name Damon, Nomad – by golly, his stage name is his first name backwards! I nearly missed that! – Jones often opts for loudly strummed acoustic guitars with an honest, busked-out quality in the bold chord changes he uses (recalling early David Gray or fellow Mancunian Stephen Fretwell).
But Jones’s songs (often ballads) are also brimming with tender pop hooks, represented well by some pinpoint-accurate production, which seems attentive to the level of detail that these songs require. Singer-songwriter Jones‘s high-register melancholy vocals are also highly evocative of Turin Brakes’s Olly Knights; but while Turin Brakes are primarily a duo, Jones handles vocals alone with only subtle female backing singing and lavish, but non-invasive cello and violin.

There are minor drums and bass on ‘The TV Light EP’, but whether session men, or Jones’s friends provide them (it’s not particularly technical playing), the calculated touches they provide are perfectly understated and fitting for Jones’s tender style, which is dominated by guitar or piano on all tracks here.

By Ryan Daff

Release Date: 14/07/2008
Label: Unsigned
www.myspace.com/nomadjones