Album Notes

We Should Be There By Now (Review Mar 2007 The Fly)

No, not that Aled (Jones), this Aled delivers some of the best lines in vocal jazz since the heyday of Mose Allison

With song titles like ‘Chasing Rainbows’, I have to admit to going through the motions on putting this CD on, only to be pleasantly proved wrong again and again. His uniquely British sense of ironic detachment and self-deprecation, teamed with a choice of subject matter ranging from motorway traffic to playing to empty houses and not getting paid and of course hopeless relationships is just plain laugh-out-loud funny.

If the lyrics are witty celebrations of life in the wrong lane, this tight trio provides subtly clever musical accompaniment. Aled displays a sure grasp of how to musically emphasise and undermine at will his lyrics. No doubt 15 years playing in hotel lobbies and the like has left Aled with a sandpaper-dry sense of humour and a sure grasp of the relationship between chords and emotions.

The Feelgood Factor delivers ten classic songs from the chronically unsuccessful doppelgänger of Jamie Cullum. How ironic if this album made the trio a household name; could happen, it is that good. On the other hand, as the eponymous opener says, “the decision has been made. Thank you for the music but you are sure not, sure not, getting paid.”

Aled Thomas Trio — We Should Be There By Now is out now on Itchy Knee Records

—Damian Rafferty
Saturday 10 March 2007