Stephen Jacques - Sometimes Love is Not Enough (self-released)

Despite The Beatles telling us that it was all you need, I think that Stephen Jacques is nearer the mark with the sentiment behind his latest single, perhaps “Sometimes Love is Not Enough.” I’m not dismissing the Fab Four’s optimism; it’s just that a more realistic viewpoint, a more mature understanding of life, is a better option. And that in itself, is perhaps just as life-affirming, that sometimes, things don’t work out, other things get in the way, it is healthy to understand that life’s rich tapestry is the realisation that not everything is the way that you would like it to be, and, with apologies to John Lennon love is not all you need. Welcome to life in all its ragged glory.

Here, we find Stephen in suitably reflective mode, and the music matches this pathos-infused mood. A steel pedal wails and wanders through, guitars and piano lines weave together to create a subdued atmosphere, and deft and delicate vocal harmonies add depth and colour. It is not until the guitar solo breezes through that the mood seems to pick up slightly.

But this is no melancholy musing, no call for self-pity; this is just the stuff of life and music made by a man old enough to understand that you have to walk through the rain if you are ever going to see the rainbow.

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Prayers For An Orange Cat
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