Without a single flinch, I can truly say Ayron Jones is on his way to uncut rock royalty.
After bringing his untamed heat to the UK last year he’s been riding a continuous hard-hitting wave, giving us only single-track teasers for the next big release. Now, the Seattle native finally quenches our thirst, releasing the full-length LP ‘Chronicles Of The Kid’. With ten tracks of absolutely gloriously composed songs, the album sees Jones reach his full potential as an unstoppably good growing artist within the alternative scene. Track 1 ‘Strawman’ launches us straight into the depths of his wired, riff heavy soul.
Jones is unapologetically acute, dedicated to giving his listeners the most intensely felt rock feel with every guitar solo and tom drum slam. Released earlier this year, ‘Blood In The Water’ starts off emotively with Jones showcasing his soulfully taunted vocals before them absolutely shredding his way into a crescendo finish. Following that we get more previously released tracks ‘The Title’ and ‘The Otherside’. The former gets your groove metal heart pumping. Howling into the mic Jones sings I came for the Title/ I came for the crown/ It’s a matter of survival/ I ain’t going down, down, down’. Having had a long-standing music career with a few different bands previously, you can really feel Jone’s thrust for his own success having struggled with labels, signings and having his own voice heard. Well it damn well is being heard now. ‘The Otherwise’ gets an electronic beat dressing before he snarls back out with ‘My America’. With wrenching lyrics and heavy metal screams the sadness for his country pours out with an insane double time, accurate/sweep-picking ending. ‘Living For The Fall’ brings the mood down a few notches with a moody ambience before the righteously raunchy number ‘Filthy’ drips with hot tongue swagger.
The production of this record is just thread-in-needle decent with those post-production elements in ‘Filthy’ pushing it into a sleek modernisation. ‘Get High’ I can already tell is going to be one of those songs live with the chorus fade out featuring feelin’ good as a motherfucker/ feelin’ live as a motherfucker. Try seeing that live without singing along. Though rockstar mode has completely been activated on ‘Chronicles Of The Kid’, Jones has the ability to drop his guard and bring out some beautifully soft elements to his musicality. ‘The Sky Is Crying’ does just that with a subtle synth backdrop to his guitar work. The album finishes up with the headbanger ‘On Two Feet I Stand’. Ayron Jones seems to have cultivated this signature style that has left him completely unboxed, unpredictable and unpinnable. But with such a way about him that makes this record the very essence of who he is as a musician. 10/10 for Ayron Jones. Now get him back to the UK.
Ayron Jones recently toured the UK with platinum-selling rock band Daughtry and will be continuing this run through the US this summer. Ayron will return to the UK to perform 2000trees Festival on July 5th. For more full tour dates visit ayronjonesmusic.com
ABOUT AYRON JONES: In 2021, as the world looked like it was burning down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd, Seattle-born rockstar Ayron Jones was achieving his dream. That’s when his song ‘Mercy’, from his debut major label record release, Child of the State, hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Rock Chart, making Jones one of the few solo Black artists to achieve the feat. Now, Jones is set to release the follow-up to that LP, Chronicles of the Kid. As such, he is the happiest he’s ever been, content in himself, confident in his stride. But what is the cost of this clarity? That question permeates his forthcoming release. Indeed, what if the stories you wanted to tell hurt people around you? Would you still tell them? For Jones, the answer is yes. They’re his stories. And his honesty is the fuel that lights his powerful fire. To be human is to get dirty— or, in Jones’ own words, ‘Filthy’. It’s the struggle of being who you are that’s most important. And, as Jones sings on his new LP, he’s here for the crown, ‘The Title’. Hailed by American Songwriter as “one of the biggest names in the genre,” the artist, who has opened for The Rolling Stones and shared stages with groups like Guns N’ Roses and Public Enemy, is the man he’s always wanted to be. He’s given up any façade for the sake of embracing the very real fantasy of what it means to be himself. You can hear all about it on Chronicles of the Kid, out on June 23rd.
Review: Monty Sewell
Courtesy of Big Machine/John Varvatos Records
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