⭐ “John sings the song as a mournful protest, not a rallying cry to fight back, but a chronicle of how times can change.”
🎵 “It closes on a line that truly resonates: ‘We’re dying and no‑one really knows.’”
SINGLE REVIEW: JOHN JENKINS - DYING BY INCHES
CHRIS FARLIE
The striking cover that accompanies "Dying By Inches", the new single from John Jenkins leaves little doubt as to what this song might be about, with the Statue Of Liberty holding her head in hands. Although it is John's latest single it is not as such a new song, originally written and released some years ago, when John could already sense many of the traditional ideals of the USA being eroded. In the light of recent events he's started to add it back into his live set and decided to release it as a single.
Musically a combination of acoustic guitars and John's layered vocals combine to really make the lyrics shine, with a downbeat harmonica solo adding to that feeling of loss. John hails from Liverpool which has always held traditional ties with the USA, seeing it as a beacon of hope - this song reflects on how it seems now.
The second verse is quite revealing, reflecting the the freedoms that had taken many years to acquire being lost and that the essential day to day existence is in decline.
"Spoke to the DA and he felt the same
“I fought all my life for goodness
But everything it’s now changed
Well, I remember a time way before
When everything felt so different and life wasn’t so poor”"
The chorus takes the Statue Of Liberty contrasting it bearing witness to current events with that of those arriving many years ago, seeing it for the first time, and believing that anything was possible in the land of the free.
"Well, I saw a light held up high in the sky
Of a statue of a woman by the port
And I think of the dreams that my father once had
Laid wasted or just plain ignored
Well, I have no faith in this world
Nothing is sacred nothing feels fair"
John sings the song as a mournful protest, it's not a rallying cry to fight back, more a chronicle of how times can change.
It closes on a line that truly resonates "We're dying and no-one really knows"
Buzzslayer - Review of Dying By Inches
“John’s lyrical approach is wonderfully thought out—standing not on either side, but at the centre, looking in with honesty and heart.”
https://www.buzzslayers.com/post/john-jenkins-releases-an-honest-and-attentive-single
QUOTES
“This is a song that you pay attention to. It wraps itself around you… it makes you think, and it makes you understand.”
“This is an artist unafraid to put pieces of himself in his songs, and that is one of the most important aspects of his art.”
John Jenkins Releases an Honest and Attentive Single
John Jenkins returns with a single that absolutely has plenty of depth to it and makes quite an amazing statement in terms of where we are in the world and in this country today. It's a song that doesn't hold a lot back and speaks truths, by way of telling stories, and this is where the warmth comes in.
This is a single that does a lot of explaining and talks about generations coming to the United States with dreams in hand. It speaks of parents, grandparents, and how, at certain points, this was the place where people went to be free. Free from wherever they came and free to follow their dreams.
The state of the country and even the world for the most part, is in a very indifferent place. It feels like we're quite broken up, divided, and it's becoming more and more impactful by the day, or so it would seem.
This is obviously a politically driven song, and it's not taking sides; it's more about speaking from a human point of view and watching it all unfold.
I found all of this to be so incredibly connective, simply because of the way the lyrics are put. Again, he goes through this based on storytelling and does it from such a beautiful perspective that you can really understand where it's all coming from.
A lot of the time, you nod your head in agreement as the song unfolds.
John's lyrical approach with this track is wonderfully thought out so that it's not standing on either side, but rather from just at the centre. It's almost like someone standing on the outside looking in, and maybe that's where most of us need to be placed. We should look at this from the outside so that we can see the sort of destruction that we've been causing to ourselves and others.
Now, this is a very heartfelt track with a wondrous performance that really has that beautiful warmth and tonality that John is known for in a lot of his other music. It's got gorgeous acoustic guitars, vocal harmonies, that message comes across just as it should, and all of it has this sense of depth to it.
The single comes with that classic Americana, southern tonality, including layered guitars that feel lush, along with some harmonica sections that break out a little bit of classic folk approach and aesthetic.
All of these attributes fall under some of the staples that are known of John's music.
This is a song that you pay attention to. It wraps itself around you in a very particular way, not just musically, but lyrically as well. It makes you think, and it makes you understand.
I feel like this is very important in today's world. I do think that we need songs like this out there. Songs that make us think or even rethink who we are or what we're doing. Songs that let us look from a different perspective at situations out there.
We all have choices to make, and it's songs like this that make us remember that.
We can make the country in the world a better place by being honest with ourselves and paying attention to the other side of things. Hearing people out. Not taking sides so quickly. Having a bigger heart and letting ourselves be slightly more vulnerable.
None of those things is easy, but they are aspects of life that can change over time, and when you take that to heart, you yourself can be changed as well.
Now, I'm not saying anyone needs changing; I'm just saying that looking at things from other perspectives is important. Critical thinking is important, and again, sometimes we need a song like this to kind of remind us of that.
If you're not familiar with the music of John Jenkins, then this is an amazing way to introduce yourself.
The full Restless Heart record from last year is absolutely astounding and comes with a lot of emotional drive and backbone that waivers and changes throughout its course.
I would definitely check this song out and do so with headphones so you could really soak in the mood that it delivers, along with the message that it sends.
Definitely check out the full album and more, because if you like the song, you're bound to like a lot of the other approaches that John has to his music.
This is an artist who's unafraid to put pieces of himself in his songs, and that is one of the most important aspects of his art as a whole.
Digital Soul, Heartland Heart: River East River West Reimagines the Country Narrative
Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine
In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, the line between tradition and technology is blurring in fascinating ways. Enter River East River West, a groundbreaking AI-driven studio project that proves high-tech tools can still produce high-lonesome sounds. Their latest single, “Too Many Whiskeys Under the Bridge,” isn’t just a foot-tapping country anthem; it’s a sophisticated experiment in how classic songwriting can thrive in the digital age.
The Song: A Masterclass in Wry Storytelling
Written by acclaimed Liverpool songwriter John Jenkins, “Too Many Whiskeys Under the Bridge” is a vibrant slice of modern country that feels like it was polished in a Nashville neon glow. While the title suggests a somber ballad, the track surprises the listener with an irresistible bounce and an infectious rhythm.
Set in the locale of Belvedere, the lyrics paint a cinematic picture of a relationship’s final moments:
The Imagery: Vivid details like “lipstick too red” and “mist in the air” ground the listener in the scene.
The Depth: Jenkins’ lyrical prowess shines in lines like, “Pride is the rope God allows us to hang ourselves,” capturing the heavy emotional toll of the breakup.
The Vibe: Despite the “wry humor” and sharp detail of a connection unravelling, the track maintains a “swagger and swing” that demands a foot-tap.
The Artist Behind the Machine: John Jenkins
The heart and soul of this project belong to John Jenkins, a Liverpool-born veteran of the UK folk and Americana scene. With a pedigree that includes John Peel sessions and 80s post-punk outfits like The Persuaders, Jenkins has long been celebrated for his emotional clarity and melodic instinct.
River East River West was born from a specific creative frustration. Jenkins had a catalog of traditional country songs that didn’t quite fit his own vocal style or his acoustic-leaning live sets. After a failed attempt to capture the right “drive” with a live session band due to logistical and financial hurdles, he turned to AI as a creative collaborator.
“I imagined a band discovering one of my songs, interpreting it with their own energy, and sending it back to me. It’s still my melody, my words, my authorship — just filtered through a different lens.” — John Jenkins
The Project: Where Tradition Meets Innovation
River East River West functions as a “fictional band.” By using AI to handle the vocal delivery and specific instrumental “swagger” he envisioned, Jenkins is able to release material that might otherwise have gathered dust.
He views this move not as a shortcut, but as a continuation of a long musical tradition of adaptation—likening the use of AI to the early days of the Mellotron or drum machines. The result is a sound that feels stylistically authentic, bright, and energetic, bridging the gap between a Liverpool songwriter’s pen and a traditional Nashville soundscape.
Lyrics Snapshot
The track’s narrative strength is best captured in its recurring refrain:
They fell apart In Belvedere She let him see the drift of his thoughts Lipstick too red His face was closed Too many whiskeys under the bridge, I suppose
The Verdict
“Too Many Whiskeys Under the Bridge” is a triumph of songwriting over medium. It serves as a reminder that at the core of every great track—whether recorded in a wooden shack or an AI studio—is a human story. John Jenkins has successfully utilized modern technology to give his country roots the “vibrant new life” they deserve.
For fans of: Classic Nashville storytelling, upbeat Americana, and the innovative spirit of modern folk.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Review
9/10 “Too Many Roads (Restless Hearts Covered) is an extraordinary piece of work”
Various Artists: Too Many Roads (Restless Hearts Covered). Album Review.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Well told stories never end, they find ways to adapt, to reach out with greater intensity and love, their emotions heightened by the continual appreciation and the way that others interpret the tale for others to hold on to and spread the word. If only we could all hold that type of power, that sense of engaged passion that others seek out, and for one of Liverpool’s most elegantly gifted songwriters, John Jenkins, his latest album, released in July, sees a wonderfully creative adaption conceived by the equally respected Jim Pearson, unveiled.
Too Many Roads (Restless Hearts Covered) is an honour of collaboration, a dignified unselfish relationship between friends, colleagues, admirers, and artists, and one that strides fearlessly between the expected polish and the human arrangement of the intimately scored.
To find such an array of talent, one freely given with a smile and desire, is to understand the depth of veneration in John Jenkins work. From critical acclaim and to local high regard to his music, the contrast of lyrical endeavour is sheer and detailed, and as artists such as Helen Flunder, Ann Radcliffe, John Booth, David Nixon’s Navigation, Ian F Ball, John Armstrong, and Jim Pearson himself all add to the engaging story telling and lyrically fierce movements, so the evidence of Mr. Jenkins’ arguably finest work comes to a natural and unrepentant sense of permanency, of being the deserved focus of the West Kirby Friday Night Musical Group, to the city in which he plied his trade and insights, and to the greater world beyond.
Tracks such as The Disappearance, Colorado In The Spring, Brooklyn, The Not Knowing, Farthings Wood, and I Didn’t Really Want To Change The World fill the listener’s soul with exuberance and longing, of melancholy and dreams unbound; and the result is a reverence, rightly, for the music and the man.
Too Many Roads (Restless Hearts Covered) is an extraordinary piece of work, one that is complimentary but never overshadows, one that is equal but always aware of the past it emulates; and to which is a joy to behold.
Ian D. Hall
Buzzslayers Review
“The outcome is absolutely outstanding as the artists and bands gathering together to recreate these songs certainly do give their own spin, aesthetic, and atmosphere to the track that we're
It wasn't too long ago that songwriter and performer John Jenkins released his most recent record, Restless Hearts. When the album was released, word spread quickly, and it was reviewed by a multitude of magazines, featured on numerous playlists, and received plenty more attention.
The album is a beautifully woven set of songs that are personal and serve as chapters in his life.
As the record was getting ready for release, John came up with the idea of a different version of the record. A version with other artists covering his tracks in their own original and distinct styles, so that they are reimagined and recreated in an original sense.
He put the word out via social media and other platforms, and soon enough, artists started to step forward.
What came of it is a brand-new record called John Jenkins Songbook, Volume 1: Too Many Roads, which is an alternative take on his Restless Hearts record.
The outcome is absolutely outstanding as the artists and bands gathering together to recreate these songs certainly do give their own spin, aesthetic, and atmosphere to the track that we're already honest, storytelling, and robust.
Throughout the unfolding of the album, you have everything from blues, Indie pop, dream pop, acoustic singer-songwriter, and songs that even come through full-bodied and lush.
It's incredible how these artists were able to give such a unique approach and aesthetic to the songs that already had this great impact in storytelling and authenticity, and songwriting to begin with.
One of my favorite tracks on this record is "The Disappearance", which comes through as a very cinematic, vast, and expansive single that balances a line between something theatrical and cinematic, while remaining poetic and with a gorgeous, flowing overtone.
This one was by Helen Flunder & Brendan Perkins, and together they really reprised this song in such a gorgeous way that you just get engulfed by it.
Among others are songs like "Never Needed Much", performed by Rob Cast, which definitely gives that theatrical undertone and feel so stripped down and bare at certain points that you just pay so much attention to the emotion behind the vocal performance along with those lyrics.
Others include "The Not Knowing" performed by Mel Reeves and Julie Meikle.
This track has a beautifully performed jazz underbelly to it, and the guitar work here is outstanding because it reshapes the original song in such a unique fashion, but still holds on to the original in certain aspects.
A lot of these tracks tend to stay close to the original performances keeping that sort of folk, Americana, and Southern touched undertone evident and on the upfront While others take complete different directions, so it was beautiful to see and hear so many different approaches to the original record and I'm sure that John himself was pretty blown away once it was all put together and he was able to sit back to listen to everything.
What's even cooler about this whole thing is that there are secondary versions of tracks throughout this record, meaning there are multiple songs covered twice by different bands.
Again, each one has something different to bring to the table, and although some are more familiar to John's original tonalities, some are not, and I just found the whole thing very enticing.
Maybe this is because I know the original album so well, which is something you should go check out too.
This record spans 19 tracks and features as many artists. Again, certain tracks are covered more than once by two different artists or bands, but this still gives different life to those tracks, and each cover of a particular song is completely different from the next.
Definitely check this record out as soon as you can because there's a lot to soak in here. Brilliant layers, amazing portrayals, and performances of some solid songwriting that still showcase some of the heart and sentiment that the originals came from.
The record is available right now, so check it out and remember where you heard it first.
Americana UK Review of 'Too Many Roads' Album November 13th 2025
“The experiment works… all the reworkings are worthy of a listen.” “An interesting conceit… a starker listen, with many of the songs stripped back.”
Staying local, in fact, rooting around AUK’s spiritual home of Liverpool, we have an album which is a bit of an oddity and a salute to a Liverpool songwriter. John Jenkins released his latest album, “Restless Hearts”, a few months ago, getting an 8/10 review from us. “Too Many Roads” is basically “Restless Hearts” reimagined and is delivered by 12 acts who each cover a song from the original album. A bold move, really, tempting hubris, tempered perhaps by Jenkins offering the album as a free download. Anyhow, the experiment works, and while the reworkings in themselves are all worthy of a listen, it’s instructive to listen to them in tandem with the original album. It’s a starker listen, with many of the songs stripped back: the best example being Robyn Gair’s delivery of ‘Too Many Roads’ while Will Riding adds some gravitas and doom to ‘Sound Of Thunder’. An interesting conceit.
FATEA MUSIC MAG Review 3rd Nov 2024
https://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/reviews/JohnJenkins6/
“Liverpool has produced many fine musicians over the years and John Jenkins can rightly claim his place amongst those”
Liverpool has produced many fine musicians over the years and John Jenkins can rightly claim his place amongst those. A talented singer songwriter who delivers music which is a fusion of americana and folk, his latest album will undoubtedly enhance his burgeoning reputation.
This latest EP containing six songs, will perfectly demonstrate John's versatility as both a songwriter and a performer. All but one of the songs on this were written at the same time as his previous album "Tuebrook" but were not felt to be in keeping with the music and theme on it. The result therefore is a new recording.
John has increased both the number of supporting musicians and backing singers on this latest album and strays into gently differing genres, thereby producing a very rounded demonstration of his songs.
The title track and opening number is "Weary" which John has been messing around with, his words not mine, for the last two years. It is a very laid back and beautifully arranged track with some wonderful piano backing and an incredible bit of gospel vocals from Helen Shanley, this being totally unexpected on first listen. "Do You Ever Think About me" is a song about relationships and is a gentle piece that John had written to be sung by others. He however decided to record it himself and the theme suits his voice perfectly.
"Bury Myself In The Sand" has an intricate trumpet backing and an almost Bossa Nova rhythm to it. Most unexpected and clever at the same time. "The Reason" is a song about motherly love towards her son. It has perfectly balanced harmonies with a wonderful guitar solo in the middle and is a song that will take the listener on a thought-provoking journey.
"I Don't Want To Be That Guy Anymore" is a piece of music that developed out of some soul searching by John and an analysis of his own warts and all life. A superb arrangement, primarily on guitar, it is one of the songs that will induce a bit of toe tapping and be great company on a drive. The final track "Dressing Up The Truth" is an upbeat trip down Memory Lane and closes the album in atmospheric fashion. The sleeve notes explain the school days which inspired this very nostalgic and clever track together with the adventures which will have given John considerable joy on his lifelong journey.
The one big advantage of reviewing a six-track album is that it is possible to mention each track without the piece become a tome to rival War & Peace. I rarely mention each track on an album review so I hope therefore that, this time, I have conveyed what a genuine quality addition to anyone's music library the purchase of "Weary" will make.
Rory M Stanbridge
AUK Review 19th Sept 2024
https://americana-uk.com/auks-monthly-eps-round-up-september-2024#respond
“Absolutely breathtaking, and one of the best tracks I've heard all year”
“Collecting these tracks all together on one EP, marks "Weary", out as a must have and comes highly recommended.”
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Next up we have the new six-track EP 'Weary' from one of Liverpool's finest songwriters of recent years, John Jenkins.
Having made his name with local post-punk bands of the eighties, The Persuaders and Come In Tokio, Jenkins returned to the music scene back in 2015 with a set of songs more rooted to the singer-songwriter medium so enjoyed by the americana music fraternity.
His sixth and most recent album "Tuebrook", came out last year receiving high praise from these pages with our very own Paul Russell stating "Jenkins is fast becoming one of Liverpool's most respected singer songwriters".
The six tracks on this new EP, sees Jenkins revisiting the tracks that didn't make the cut for the last album, not because they weren't good enough but simply because they didn't suit the album's intimate arrangement.
Nothing emphasises that point more than the EP's title track and opening number, for though it starts with all the gently simplicity that marked "Tuebrook" out as one of last years highlights, with acoustic guitar and vocals caressing the airwaves, the track subtly moves through the gears, building to a crescendo, complete with a horn section and stunning backing vocals from Helen Shanley that lifts the track to a rousing gospel finale. Absolutely breathtaking, and one of the best tracks I've heard all year.
The remaining five tracks have all been released this year as singles and though not as grandiose as the title track, each track maintains the quality, especially the wistful 'Do You Ever Think Of Me', the high tension of 'I Don't Want To Be That Guy', and personal favourite 'The Reason', that showcases Jenkins mastery of the reflective lyrical narrative.
Collecting these tracks all together on one EP, marks "Weary", out as a must have and comes highly recommended.
New Music Chester Reviews 16th Sept 2024
"It's a stellar addition to his remarkable songbook and a true testament to his exceptional talent as a singer-songwriter"
New Music Mondays - Go Take A Listen!
"Weary" is a standout track from John Jenkins' latest EP. It opens with a captivating acoustic intro, echoing his earlier work, and quickly blossoms into a vibrant, layered composition. The addition of sweeping keys and an uplifting trumpet infuses the song with a grand, almost gospel-like atmosphere.
Jenkins' heartfelt lyrics are delivered with emotional depth, further enhanced by Helen Shanley's soaring backing vocals. The track crescendos to a climactic finale, creating a powerful and moving experience.
Overall, "Weary" highlights Jenkins' ability to craft a diverse and emotionally resonant soundscape. It's a stellar addition to his remarkable songbook and a true testament to his exceptional talent as a singer-songwriter.
Tune in to NN Music's Showcase on Circl8 Radio tomorrow night at 8pm to catch "Weary" (at circl8radio.com).
https://open.spotify.com/track/50XQLtVsAqGnQ7kB5I8Lt0...
You can grab a copy of John Jenkins' latest EP directly from his website! Check it out on the link: https://www.johnjenkinsmusic.com/shop