Toby and The Whole Truth - 'Ignorance Is Bliss' (25th Anniversary Edition)

(Jepsongs Recordings)

This one takes me way back to when I was initially getting into music and knowing ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’ is celebrating its 25^th anniversary with this re-issue makes me feel a little bit old! Although the nostalgia is strong with this one and the mere mention of this album brings back some very happy memories. For those of you who don’t know this was Toby Jepson’s first project post Little Angels, whom I had just missed but was having fun catching up with just prior to this albums release. Although many may think of this as a cult album it actually got very little praise at the time and the Little Angels fans did not jump onboard as you may have thought. It was a time of massive shifts within the music industry and although Jepson moved musically away from the Angels signature sound into more alternative territory it seemed he lost his established fans and failed to strike a chord with new fans within the alternative and grunge scene dominant in rock circles of the time. I saw Toby and The Whole Truth on the promotional tour at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton with barely 25 people in attendance – it just sums how ambivalent music fans can be. It was no surprise Jepson disappeared for music for quite some time following this album.

But it’s a fantastic album an overlooked gem that was a victim of it’s song writers past and a rock scene set to destroy it self at the time, grunge may have been needed to kill off the commercial era of rock but it also almost killed the genre off – mainly by implying rock was uncool and grunge is an acquired taste so music fans got their kicks elsewhere most notably in the UK amongst indie rock bands like Oasis and the Stone Roses.

If you’re a Jepson fan this is an essential listen, just don’t expect the Little Angels! It’s very of it’s time so don’t make comparisons to his work in the 2000’s or his current NWOCR band Wayward Sons.

Imagine what an alt rock album at the height of grunge written be Jepson would sound like and you’ll be half way to knowing what this is like. Do yourself a favour and listen to it and introduce you to your new favourite Jepson songs like ‘I Won’t Be With You’, ‘Slipping Through Your Fingers’ and ‘Save Me From Myself’.

10/10

Essential Track - 'I Won't Be With You'

Review by Woody