Jack J Hutchinson 'Battle Scars' Live album review: Powerhouse trio capture the spirit and sound of vintage shows in this live recording

'Battle documents Hutchinson and his powerhouse trio — Greg Smith (bass) and Phil Wilson (drums) — across 10 tracks drawn from his first four solo albums. Recorded at London’s Grace and Coulsdon’s Tuesday Night Music Club, the album distils the sweat, soul and unfiltered energy of Hutchinson’s recent UK tour.

For Hutchinson, the live record also taps into a classic tradition: “Some of my favourite albums are live records, whether it be Neil Young’s Weld or the Black Crowes and Jimmy Page’s Live at the Greek. We were fortunate to have the tapes rolling across two nights and the band was absolutely cooking. It’s got an energy that’s impossible to recreate in a studio.”

Battle Scars follows hot on the heels of Hutchinson’s 2024 album Battles, which crashed into the Official UK Charts, clocked 120K streams in its first week, and spawned Planet Rock favourites ‘Constellations’ and ‘Bullets’ - which feature in the set.

The live album certainly turns up the heat: it's raw, unfiltered, hot and heavy and captures the atmosphere of the small gig environment. 'Don't Let the Fuckers Get You Down' is the opening salvo in this energetic, sweaty, beer-soaked bluesy set. Wilson's hypnotic drumbeat heralds the outlaw rock of 'Road to Hell'.

The grungy 'Deal With the Devil' and the tongue-in-cheek 'Hip Slickin'' are midway highlights. While the Neil Young-inspired 'I Will Follow You' showcases Hutchinson's songwriting with its pared-back band work, which allows the vocals to take centre stage in this softer moment.

Hutchinson's raspy vocals on this recording, and his guitar roars - it's a well-balanced live recording that manages to capture the sound and energy of a live show in a compact venue without sounding muddy - in many ways, it really does capture the spirit of some of those vintage live shows.

On stage is evidently where Hutchinson thrives: “I love being in the studio, but it’s on stage where the songs truly come alive. There’s nothing better than that communal feeling of a live gig, where you and the audience are singing songs together and connecting eye to eye...the whole thing becomes a kind of spiritual experience. It’s basically one heck of a fun night out!” And if you missed the night out, at least you get a chance to play it loud in your own front room!