Review: Wade Jackson – Whiskey Alpha Delta Echo

When one first hears Wade Jackson in the opening track, “Dark Mirror”, one notices that his voice has some similarities to that of John Wicks of The Records. Not the “Starry Eyes” Wicks of yesteryear but rather the John Wicks of 2013’s “Chasing Angels”, the lead singer’s tribute to Phil Brown.

The comparison doesn’t end there as back in the day, a prominent music critic was known to refer to The Records as the British Big Star. There are numerous examples throughout the LP of Big Star’s influence on the work of Wade Jackson.

Tracks on Whiskey Alpha Delta Echo such as “Catch My Eye”, “Coming Back”, “Carolina” and especially “Back of My Hand” are all reminiscent of Big Star and each is more satisfying than anything on In Space, Big Star’s final LP (with Chilton’s “Lady Sweet” being the only possible exception).

I’m a little late to the party on this one as it was released toward the end of last year. That having been said, it’s easily one of the best discs I’ve heard so far this year and is an absolute must for those who miss Misters Chilton & Bell.

Get your copy of Whiskey Alpha Delta Echo at Wade Jackson’s Bandcamp page.