User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 74 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 74
  2. Negative: 7 out of 74
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  1. Apr 27, 2014
    10
    Nada más que decir sobre el álbum de Jake Bugg, Shangri La, ha superado totalmente mis expectativas, va de un tono más eléctrico en canciones como Slumville Sunrise o What Doesn't Kill You a canciones como Simple Pleasures o Pine Trees o Kitchen Table, e incluso algo más country como Storm Passes Away. Sin duda de los mejores álbumes del año.
  2. Jun 20, 2014
    10
    A crítica pode não ter o aclamado como aclamou seu album de estréia,mas o album não foi descepcionante,veio com mais guitarra,menos folk,Rick Rubin soube manusear esse menino.
    Tinha medo de ele vir com um péssimo album,mas veio com um tão bom quanto o primeiro.
  3. Nov 19, 2013
    7
    Boy am I a bit confused with Shangri La. Not to dismiss it as a sophomore creative slump; Shangri La sounds rushed, more like a collection of b-sides and rejects that didn't make the cut of his impressive debut. A major letdown considering Jake Bugg set the bar so high and this new release doesn't seem to fill half the expectations left by that Mercury Prize nominated album. From theBoy am I a bit confused with Shangri La. Not to dismiss it as a sophomore creative slump; Shangri La sounds rushed, more like a collection of b-sides and rejects that didn't make the cut of his impressive debut. A major letdown considering Jake Bugg set the bar so high and this new release doesn't seem to fill half the expectations left by that Mercury Prize nominated album. From the reductive album cover to the overall too-glossy sound, Bugg treads the same musical ground but with no hit-ready material nor significant musical progression this time around. What's redeemingly evident here is Bugg's impressive songwriting that nonetheless will make him bound for pop greatness, and it just hasn't come to fruitation yet. Shangri La is still a solid album. Expand
  4. Nov 25, 2013
    9
    Fantastic follow up album from Jake Bugg, which I certainly wouldn't call a sophomore slump. While it certainly isn't the biggest leap forward in sound and subject matter, 'Shangri La' is still an extremely impressive album for someone so young, and who seems to still be finding his sound.
  5. Nov 22, 2013
    8
    Great second outing for Jake Bugg. For me the same as the first album as in there are tunes that just grab you and tunes that are growers. I cant believe some of the negative stuff in reviews from so called critics harsh to say the least. "wouldn't last more than a round on "American Idol." If I was Mr Bugg Id take that as a solid compliment. Trash talent show fodder he aint. onlyGreat second outing for Jake Bugg. For me the same as the first album as in there are tunes that just grab you and tunes that are growers. I cant believe some of the negative stuff in reviews from so called critics harsh to say the least. "wouldn't last more than a round on "American Idol." If I was Mr Bugg Id take that as a solid compliment. Trash talent show fodder he aint. only negative I do agree with one of the other users Rubin doesn't do it for me. I do prefer less production on his tunes. Expand
  6. Nov 19, 2013
    5
    I think the magic of the record is lost in the production; it's actually a strain for me to listen to the songs. It feels like he's singing over the sounds. His first album's acoustic guitar had character and the songs were better. Go back to your last producer whoever he/she was.
  7. May 26, 2014
    3
    Jake Bugg loves to spout off about the superficiality of modern music while peddling social commentary so facile it makes Taio Cruz sound like Chomsky. "The messed up kids are on the corner with no money/ Beautiful girls with eyes so dark beneath their sockets," whines Bugg, as if poverty was something he discovered after reading Junk in year 10. Jake Bugg claims to be an enemy ofJake Bugg loves to spout off about the superficiality of modern music while peddling social commentary so facile it makes Taio Cruz sound like Chomsky. "The messed up kids are on the corner with no money/ Beautiful girls with eyes so dark beneath their sockets," whines Bugg, as if poverty was something he discovered after reading Junk in year 10. Jake Bugg claims to be an enemy of contemporary culture, but he's really an enemy of complexity and anything that isn't just bashing a guitar going "It's **** isn't it" ? Expand
  8. Dec 26, 2013
    8
    This album contains some of my favorite folk rock songs of 2013. If you can get past his voice (which has a similar nasally charm as someone like Bob Dylan or Neil Young), he's a very talented songwriter that I hope gets as big here in the US as he is in the UK. A major difference between this this & what I've heard from his 2012 self-titled debut is the more frequent use of fuzzyThis album contains some of my favorite folk rock songs of 2013. If you can get past his voice (which has a similar nasally charm as someone like Bob Dylan or Neil Young), he's a very talented songwriter that I hope gets as big here in the US as he is in the UK. A major difference between this this & what I've heard from his 2012 self-titled debut is the more frequent use of fuzzy electric guitars. "What Doesn't Kill You" (which reminds me of something off Arctic Monkeys' debut) is a great example of that, as are songs like "Slumville Sunrise" & the rockabilly-like "Kingpin". At the same time though there are some great intimate & poetic folk tunes like "Me & You" or the mature breakup ballad "Kitchen Table". He also delves into 80's jangle-pop on "Messed Up Kids" & delivers a surprisingly effective power ballad (with pointed anti-power-ballad lyrics) in "A Song About Love" that I think could be his breakthrough hit in America if it's the next single. The lyrics are always solid too, mostly keeping a good balance between clear & poetic & throwing out messages of blunt social commentary, emotional unrest & morality. And even if you don't get what he's saying, they're still well-written enough to like without a complete dissection. If I had to point out any flaws he occasionally attempts a higher note out of his limited range, and I find "Pine Trees" pretty forgettable. But aside from that I really like each song here, and aside from that one they're all quite memorable.

    Top 5 tracks: What Doesn't Kill You, Simple Pleasures, Messed Up Kids, Slumville Sunrise, Kitchen Table
    Score: 83/100
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  9. Mar 2, 2014
    6
    It is undeniable that Jake Bugg is a talented chap, first album at the tender age of 18, support slots with Noel Gallagher, festival appearances and some terrific music to boot. It just seems a shame that the follow-up to his great debut seems rushed, unpolished and frankly sinking in throwaways.
    That's not to say though that the album doesn't have it's highlights, such as the rousing
    It is undeniable that Jake Bugg is a talented chap, first album at the tender age of 18, support slots with Noel Gallagher, festival appearances and some terrific music to boot. It just seems a shame that the follow-up to his great debut seems rushed, unpolished and frankly sinking in throwaways.
    That's not to say though that the album doesn't have it's highlights, such as the rousing opener "There's A Beast And We All Feed It", despite the obvious similarities to "Go Go Go (Down The Line)" by Roy Orbison. It is a fun song that moves like a freight train and sneaks in some cheeky lyrics about keying cars and Twitter, one of the first and only times I've found such a reference to be anything less than irritating. However, it is from there that we slump into obvious attempts "to do something different", and Bugg's nasally tone stands to far from the instruments on both "What Doesn't Kill You" and "Slumville Sunrise" which creates a near unbearable sound. "Me And You" is a mere rehash of "Simple As This" from the first album and it becomes difficult to find a highlight from the rest of the album. The other single "A Song About Love" is as close as it gets and again Bugg's vocal is out of place.
    Partially to blame, Rubin's production is quite simply off and places the whiny vocals too far from the instrument mix to create a cohesive sound, while Bugg's songwriting seems rushed and lazy. The album is decent and worth a listen but you won't rush back to it in a hurry and certainly won't put it on the same shelf as the debut.
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  10. Feb 4, 2014
    6
    Quando il primo disco fa il botto, dargli un seguito è difficile. L’impresa si complica se si parla un ragazzino di neppure vent’anni che passa dalle zone popolari di una città di provincia alle prime pagine londinesi, tra una storia con una modella e il pubblico che sta aspettando gli Stones a Hyde Park. Però, se al secondo album si interessa uno come Rick Rubin con un invito a registrareQuando il primo disco fa il botto, dargli un seguito è difficile. L’impresa si complica se si parla un ragazzino di neppure vent’anni che passa dalle zone popolari di una città di provincia alle prime pagine londinesi, tra una storia con una modella e il pubblico che sta aspettando gli Stones a Hyde Park. Però, se al secondo album si interessa uno come Rick Rubin con un invito a registrare nei propri studi di Malibu, la prospettiva diventa succulenta e, allora, è più acuta la delusione che si fa largo quando svanisce l’ultima nota della conclusiva ‘Storm passes away’. Intendiamoci, questo non è un brutto disco e, anzi, in più di un momento la qualità delle canzoni non può certo essere messo in discussione, ma l’esito complessivo non si avvicina minimamente alla somma degli addendi. E’ come se Jake, tanto contento di essersi trasferito in Florida da dare al disco il nome dello studio di registrazione, perdesse parte della propria inglesità a favore di un suono più levigato e rotondo che sicuramente favorirà lo sfondamento nel mercato statunitense (un po’ freddino con l’esordio) ma che non sfugge all’impressione di una certa banalità. Rubin, che al momento è un po’ inflazionato, riveste il tutto con sonorità più rock che però finiscono per prevaricare (eppure si tratta di un uomo che ha dimostrato di essere capace di togliere): il vestito che ne esce ha un taglio da anni Novanta e non sempre cade a pennello sulla passione dell’artista per la musica di tre decenni precedente. Mentre sul primo disco erano poco più di un accenno, qui gli Oasis, e il brit-pop in generale, sembrano essere un’ascendenza diretta. Basterebbe come esempio quella ballata in salsa Gallagher che si intitola ‘A song about love’ (per la quale la voce nasale di Jake non è certo adatta), ma si possono aggiungere due pezzi come ‘What doesn’t kill you’ o ‘Kingpin’ che, Arctic Monkeys a parte e per rimanere nella stessa fascia di età, sembrerebbero più adatte agli Strypes. L’inizio risulta così ingannatore perchè: ‘There’s a beast and we all feed it’ riprende la scarna struttura di voce e chitarra acustica che si conosceva e che richiama alla memoria echi di Buddy Holly e rockabilly. Dopo, fino al folk un po’ incongruo del brano conclusivo, i ritmi iniziano a farsi mediamente più tirati e, nei suoni più corposi, è l’elettrica ad avere il sopravvento sull’acustica: benché i ritornelli siano sovente contagiosi (‘Slumville sunrise’, ‘Messed up kids’) gli episodi che finiscono per farsi più apprezzare sono canzoni più delicate come ‘Me and you’ (che mette in mostra più di una traccia di country) e soprattutto una ‘Pine trees’ che, nella sua breve durata, riprende (guarda caso) sonorità del primo lavoro, mentre solo un gradino sotto resta l’incedere dolente del mid-tempo ‘All your reasons’. Quest’ultimo è comunque un segnale che c’è voglia di provare strade nuove, come pure – e in modo ancor maggiore – l’ inquieta e oscura ‘Kitchen table’ in cui una nervosa sei corde chiama e le tastiere liquide rispondono: alla fine, è proprio questo il brano che con più facilità si ripresenta alla memoria. Si tratta di aperture che, se il ragazzo saprà resistere alle tentazioni del successo facile, potranno avere sviluppi positivi per la sua musica e per noi che la ascoltiamo: in fondo, la capacità di scrivere canzoni - seppure sempre in compagnia di altri - viene confermata in questo disco che, comunque, raggiunge una sufficienza abbastanza ampia. (Visto? Non ho nominato Dylan neppure una volta, ma non so se sia un bene o un male). Expand
  11. Dec 13, 2013
    8
    Jake Bugg repeats the formula that leaded him to success: folk electric guitars. However, it still makes it to the top, and it has a catchy sound that won't leave your head for days.
  12. Nov 19, 2013
    9
    Jake Bugg might be young but he is a better musician than many other people claiming to be artists out there today. Following his much-praised debut efforts, "Shangri La" offers a collection of songs that make it really hard, at least for me, to believe this is delivered by a guy two years younger than me. "There’s a Beast and We All Feed It" is probably one of the most interesting indieJake Bugg might be young but he is a better musician than many other people claiming to be artists out there today. Following his much-praised debut efforts, "Shangri La" offers a collection of songs that make it really hard, at least for me, to believe this is delivered by a guy two years younger than me. "There’s a Beast and We All Feed It" is probably one of the most interesting indie rock/folk song I've ever heard for quite some times now. While I do feel like the album is slightly anticlimactic, I feel like the hype that has been surrounding the release was not exaggerated at all. Expand
  13. Apr 13, 2014
    8
    Jake Bugg's created a curious and interesting atmosphere in this album, that can be heavy-fast-rocky at some moments, and deep and emotional at some others. His voice is really unique, as well as his lyrics and thoughts. And all the tracks are covered by a strong and steady melancholy that makes them all irresistible. He hasn't changed too much comparing to the first album, and it's clearJake Bugg's created a curious and interesting atmosphere in this album, that can be heavy-fast-rocky at some moments, and deep and emotional at some others. His voice is really unique, as well as his lyrics and thoughts. And all the tracks are covered by a strong and steady melancholy that makes them all irresistible. He hasn't changed too much comparing to the first album, and it's clear that he doesn't need to. He's doing it really well just the way he is. Expand
  14. Nov 26, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Admittedly, I expected a great record. That was the least one would expect after hearing the first and eponymous Jake Bugg album. Actually, I was very surprised to learn that, just over a year later, he had enough to fill their second album, Shangri La, so called due to where it was recorded. Perhaps influenced by the producer, mr. Rick Rubin, the sound of Shangri La is different from the first album, something acceptable, since no assessment could be based on the difference in sound between two albums and changes are always interesting.
    The disc opens with the provocative "There's A Beast And We All Feed It". This is a brief introduction 1 minute and 43 seconds that contains the phrase "scared someone will tweet it", a clear reference to modern life. But the album begins in earnest with two singles [in reverse order of release], "Slumville Sunrise" and "What Does't Kill You" Rapid, forceful and succinct, they give the feeling that great songs come after and end up being a highlight of the disc. Both songs have great lyrics, and above all great choruses. Still speaking of these tracks, if in Jake Bugg the initial 4 themes were agitated and followed by three ballads, Shangri La begins with three agitated songs and a ballad: a reasonable "Me and You Yes, reasonable. And this is the problem: Me and You was not enough to overcome "Broken" or "Simple As This", the first significant decline from the first disc. Gets the feeling that something was missing, even though the legal letter. The work follows up his half with the great "Messed Up Kids" and "A Song About Love" The first one I liked best, tells the story of drug dealer Johnny and Jenny homeless girl showing the ability to Jake in storytelling, in this case probably referring to their land, Nottingham. The second is another interesting song where Jake says that only a song of love is not enough.
    But to my disappointment, the second half of the album opens with a weak song, "All Your Reasons", broken by the sound of guitars "Kingpin". But with all descends with Kitchen Table". Interestingly, the weak songs are the third and second longer. The acoustic "Pine Trees" I heard a few times until I reach the verdict. In it, Jake and guitar give the song that is closest to the previous album. I confess that hit a miss "Simple As This" and "Note To Self much as "Pine Trees" is not on the same level of those two of the album Jake Bugg. "Simple Pleasures" is similar to the previous significance, even though almost twice the length. Perhaps, therefore, sounded exhausting. "Storms Passes Away" and managed to finish an album that had everything to be amazing, but did not have the instant acceptance of your previous.
    I believe that Jake has confirmed its importance as a composer and vocalist while this was not enough to give your album debuts a continuation of the same or better quality. I gave to this an average of 7.5.
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  15. Dec 5, 2013
    10
    This album did not only blow away my expectations but will increase them for the next album. Jake Bugg expresses his song writing talents in each song on this album. His meaningful lyrics in songs such as Pine Trees and Kitchen Table show the real Bugg. Mr. Kennedy has done it again.
  16. Jun 22, 2014
    6
    If I'm at my most honest here, I think, despite some great moments, the old 'second-album-syndrome' seems to have caught up with Jake. That's the annoying thing really though, how someone releases a really good debut album, gets a good range of success, and then feels too rushed into a new one.
  17. Jul 22, 2014
    7
    It may not be as great and fresh as it's predecessor, but Jake manages to explore his style and make the album diverse and fun. I can't wait for his next album.
  18. Jun 18, 2016
    10
    I think that this album isn't worse than Jake Bugg 1st album, "Jake Bugg.". This album has many good songs for example at "A song alout", "What Doesn't Kill You".
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Feb 3, 2014
    40
    As much as the album’s production seems to (want to) suggest Bugg’s artistic growth, the songs, when you pick them apart, don’t show much in the way of maturation.
  2. Mojo
    Nov 21, 2013
    80
    The diversity and quality of his songwriting should be even harder to ignore on this second. [Dec 2013, p.84]
  3. Q Magazine
    Nov 21, 2013
    80
    It confirms the suspicion that Bugg really could go all the way to the top. [Dec 2013, p.106]