The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

Ring of Yesterday Still Good Today

Question: Who has a phenomenal voice, plays guitar and writes amazing songs?

Answer: Jude.

Considering how talented Jude is, it’s hard to believe that more people don’t know about him. During his short music career so far, Jude has put out three albums that would be a good addition to any music fan’s CD collection.

Jude started things off with the album 430 N. Harper Ave. The songs on the CD have a very rough sound to them. Even so, Jude’s talent is evident. Also, many of these songs found their way onto his later releases, giving music listeners a chance to her them at their polished best.

In 1998, Jude received some recognition when his song “I know” was released on the City of Angels soundtrack. That year, Maverick Records signed him and helped Jude to put out his second album, No One Is Really Beautiful, on which Jude shows a great deal of growth. The songs lose their coarseness and are instead the quality that music listeners are used to hearing on CDs.

Certain songs on No One Is Really Beautiful such as “Rick James” and “Brad and Suzy” earned Jude some radio play, although it wasn’t enough to make him a household name.

King of Yesterday, Jude’s third album that came out in 2001, is his best yet. Every single track on this CD just gives even further evidence to the extreme talent possessed by Jude.

The best way to describe Jude’s voice is by comparing him to Don McClean, who is famous for songs such as “American Pie,” “Vincent” and “Prime Time.” Both singers sound similar with their sweet, innocent voices that are perfect for love songs.

As innocent as his voice may sound, Jude’s actual lyrics present a far different story. In songs like “Indian Lover” off King of Yesterday, Jude talks of killing a lover should she find another man. It may shock a listener at first to hear such harsh words coming from his voice.

“Indian Lover” is probably the best song that Jude has produced thus far. The lyrics skillfully tell of love gone wrong and doesn’t try to hide the hate that is felt. The element making it such a standout track is the music that backs up the lyrics. It provides a unique sound that completely draws the listener in.

Another song that stands out on Jude’s third album is “Everything I Own.” This song may sound familiar to many since it was recorded by ‘NSync on their debut album. However, ‘NSync doesn’t hold a candle to Jude. This track shows that this artist knows how to make a song his own. After hearing Jude sing “Everything I Own,” you won’t want to hear it performed by anyone else.

There are a lot of factors that work together to make Jude the phenomenal musician that he is. He seems to have it all – a voice people will want to hear, music people will want to listen to and lyrics people won’t be able to get out of their heads. It’s an unbeatable combination that should, at some point, get Jude the recognition in the music world that he deserves.

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