Part I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning, part Willy Mason and part Johnny Cash – Mississippi Jump – the new single from Chester Shakes picks up where his previous tune – the fantastic How Many Times? – left off. This time however, the tempo is stepped up and the chains are off.
This one is a toe-tapper. A barn-burner. A romper-stomper. You get the gist. It’s the sound of a good time had by all in the company of the ones you love (at least for the night) whilst contemplating and commiserating mistakes gone by. Like many of Chester’s songs that have been released prior to this one, the song is underpinned by a palpable sense of regret and introspection.
Musically, we are treated to the welcome addition of a rather grizzly (no pun intended) lead guitar tone that’s used sparingly but effectively throughout the song. There’s also a bit of tremolo that gives it a bit of a Link Wray vibe which works very nicely in contrast with the acoustic backbone of the track.
The song is a simple one at its core – anyone who caught Chester’s performance and interview on From The Roots on 4ZZZ radio (102.1FM in Queensland, Australia) will know this already – but the embellishments added in this full studio recording really serve to flesh it out and complement it nicely.
Chester Shakes output has been consistent in quality, we just hope it picks up a little in terms of quantity. More Shakes please!
Written by Kinda Grizzly
