After a couple of listens to Jake Bugg’s Alamo, I’ve landed on 8/10. There are good songs here, with hooks and melodies I enjoyed, but the album is more stripped back than I wanted. “When the Night” makes the reflective side work, while “Trapped in a Cage” brings the swagger and bluesy guitars I would have liked more of.
That is the slight frustration with this record. I can appreciate the songwriting and still wish it had a bit more energy and bite.
The quieter approach works on individual songs. Across the whole album, though, I found myself wanting Bugg to kick things up a gear.
A Gentler Start
Released on 13 November 2026, Alamo is Jake Bugg’s seventh studio album. Its 11 tracks open with “When the Night”, which gives the record a nice way in.
It also sets up the side of Bugg that comes through most strongly for me here: reflective, vulnerable and stripped back.
There is plenty to like about that. My reservation is how much of the album stays in that quieter mood.
When the Night Shows a Vulnerable Bugg
“When the Night” is a good opening track, and one of the songs that worked best for me.
It’s reflective. There is a vulnerability to Bugg here that suits the gentler approach, and I enjoyed hearing that side of him.
That matters when explaining my reaction to the album. I don’t need every song to be upbeat. A quieter track can connect just as well, and this one does.
As an introduction, it eases you into the record nicely. I just wanted more of a change in energy as the album went on.
Trapped in a Cage Has the Swagger I Wanted
“Trapped in a Cage” is more the Jake Bugg I know and love.
It has that swagger, with almost blues-like guitars giving it the bite I was missing elsewhere. Those guitars are a big part of what makes it a highlight for me.
Here, I get more of the character I was hoping to hear when I put the album on. There is an edge to the song that makes it stand out against the more restrained material.
It also makes my criticism easier to explain. This is the side of Bugg I wanted more of across the record. Having a track that delivers it makes me notice its absence elsewhere.
Good Melodies, but a Little Too Stripped Back
The hooks and melodies are what keep Alamo at a strong score for me. I enjoyed the songs, even when the overall sound wasn’t quite what I had wanted.
After two listens, my main reservation remained the same: it’s a little too stripped back for my taste. I wanted more upbeat moments and a bit more force behind the music.
That is about the balance of the album. “When the Night” shows why the reflective approach can work. “Trapped in a Cage” shows the swagger and guitar sound I would have welcomed more often. If that quieter side appeals to you, our review of Kings of Leon’s intimate O My Beloved explores another recent move towards a stripped-back sound.
Between those two tracks, you can hear the reason for both my praise and my frustration.
Final Verdict
Alamo is a good album. There are hooks, melodies and a vulnerable side to Bugg that I enjoyed hearing. “When the Night” is a lovely way to start, and “Trapped in a Cage” gives me the bluesy guitars and swagger I wanted.
It loses points because the record as a whole is too stripped back for my liking. A bit more energy and bite would have made it more of the Jake Bugg album I was hoping for.
There is still plenty here to enjoy. An 8/10 feels right.
Rating: 8/10
Standout tracks: “When the Night”, “Trapped in a Cage”.
Release date and tracklist checked against Banquet Records’ album listing. Musical descriptions reflect the reviewer’s listening notes.
