Music

Jam on Bread

Melanie McGovern | Thursday 2 December, 2010 21:38

There’s nothing like a bit of self-deprecating modesty. Jam on Bread—aka Steve Carlton—describes his music as having “basic ukulele, rubbish voice, amateurish recording”. But the lo-fi, sounds-like-it-was-recorded-in-a-bathroom thing is what makes his songs so captivating – there’s a simplicity in the sounds and a striking, silly smartness in his lyrics. Hailing from Manchester, he recorded his recently released nine track album ‘A Railcard Adventure in Hackney’—a series of darkly comic, adorable accounts of hope, heartache and hypochondria. The LP offers a delightful selection of oddball titled tracks such as ‘I Wish I Was a Manatee’ and ‘Wikipedia Says I’m Dying’. ‘Let Jason Donovan Do The Talking’ sees Carlton writing love letters to girlfriends using lyrics from 80s pop songs “because the 80s say it best”. All are perfectly messy pop songs sung with the voice of a forlorn folk troubadour. He claims he is inspired by “the melancholy sounds of the ocean” but much remains mysterious about this bearded chap – his songs that are fictitious and often ludicrous, but also somehow relatable. The jammy man is one to watch for those looking for some kind of ukulele playing version of the ridiculously entertaining brilliance that is The Wave Pictures.

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