As usual I have saved what I consider to be the best until last, though to be fair it was a very tight call. Jake Neuman & The Jaybirds debut release is this five-track EP entitled “Little Bitty Town”, recorded at Peacedale Records and Studio in Connecticut under the watchful eye of producer Gregory Dwane Griffith. Twentyfive year old Neuman’s backstory is a compelling narrative of resilience and determination which saw him struck down with a life-threatening brain haemorrhage back in 2020 during which time he turned to music as a lifeline. Fully recovered, the EP’s opening track ‘Saved’, bears witness to the scars of battle but is infused throughout with a sense of triumph over adversity and a sound and lyrical integrity that immediately draws comparison to Jason Isbell. Second track ‘Say What You Mean‘, squares up to deceit, as seen through the eyes of a young man who has already endured much, with no punches pulled, while ‘Two DaysAgo’, narrates the sudden upheaval of a breakup, full of lyrical sagacity and not one ounce of self-pity. Throughout the five tracks Neuman is musically supported by The Jaybirds who include Jeff Hill on bass, Tony Leone on drums, and Jimmy Wallace on keys, and together deliver a raw, alt-country groove, that provides the perfect conduit for his engaging blue-collared poetry.