Posted on: October 15, 2015 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

San Luis Obispo’s JJ Ford creates a style of country music that looks back to the glory days of the late seventies. The titular track on Perfect Saturday Night is an effort that ties together John Denver, Don Williams, and Gordon Lightfoot. A robust instrumentation gives this track a full sound, with bass, slide guitars, and punctual drums making this into an effort that will bounce around listeners’ brains long after the song has ceased playing. Secondhand Dreams is a track that effortlessly ties together different styles of music, even adding hints of the Dave Matthews Band into the mix. I feel that the best thing about JJ Ford is that there is such a traditional and American flair to the songs on Perfect Saturday Night, but that does not make him afraid of bringing in more contemporary approaches. This makes the album that much stronger; when Ford goes traditional with songs like Love is Not a Word, one is convinced about the raw talent that he has.

a0660088896_10Every Time I Breathe is a late-album track that keeps things strong. The softer vocals of Ford during this track link George Strait with a more metropolitan (Warren Zevon) style. The tender strings presented here make this track complete.

Perfect Saturday Night is an album that has tremendous replay value. Ford is able to provide fans with a perfect introduction to this complex performer. While one cannot deny that Ford is a country artist, to pigeonhole this performer would be to sell him short. This album is a must-buy for anyone that is a fan of alluring, well-written music that is always unique yet familiar.

Top Tracks: Love is Not a Word, Perfect Saturday Night

Rating: 8.3/10

JJ Ford Perfect Saturday Night CD Review / 2015 Self / 10 Tracks / https://www.facebook.com/JJ-Ford-145171872211116/ / http://jjford54.com/ / https://jjford.bandcamp.com/

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