A fine blues and roots record if there ever was one, Not Built To Last is a great successor to Blood Thinner and a solid stepping stone for whatever Lane has planned next.
There are few musicians who can find, develop and master their own style as quickly or as professionally as Jordie Lane has done, but when you listen to his Not Built To Last EP you can be forgiven for thinking it’s as easy as Lane makes it out to be.
Opener ‘Her She Comes’ hits you with a steady beat and lively sound which accentuate Lane’s rich vocal presence. The more sombre follow-on ‘Dead Of Light’ takes the mood down somewhat, but provides a better example of Lane’s impressive lyrical ability.
‘Maybe Someday’ waxes philosophical about possibilities that lie ahead of us, containing a rather melancholic optimism of what may happen someday: “Maybe someday I’ll marry that girl / Maybe someday she will see.”
‘Lost In You’ is perhaps the most beautiful track on the album, with gentle guitar-picking and Lane’s voice soaring over it like an eagle, while on ‘Think I Always Thought’, double bass and steady drum pats hold Lane’s impossibly gripping blues lyrics, and the track rattles and rolls along like an old steam train on its way to nowhere in particular.
Jordie Lane continues to grow his musical prowess and lyrical abilities, and Not Built To Last is an excellent mark to show both how far he has come and how far he has left to go.
3.5/5 stars
BY DANIEL PRIOR
Not Built To Lastis out now through Vitamin Records
