The Runaway

Jimmy Lee is like finding an English Johnny Cash hiding out in the back lanes of West Sussex. This might sound like a stretch until you hear his backstory. His has been a life every bit as tough and cinematic in its breadth. But Lee's life and music – while deeply influenced by American country music – is also uniquely British.

Taken into care at the age of four from a home broken by poverty and World War II, Lee ran away to join the Navy at 14, and fought his way through several stretches of time inside, including at Corradino military prison on Malta. He later travelled to Ireland and the US.

What stands out on this second album released on the label attached to his music club, the Blue Coconut, is the raw emotional honesty. Lee is a man of his era, and the folk-country blend, sliding into a dreamy sax solo on ‘Sweet Mystery’, might sound dated to some, but he's the real deal. Where sailor's songs like ‘The Granuaile’ and Irish ballads like ‘Eileen’ could appear contrived elsewhere, in Lee's hands they have depth. And in his most heartfelt statement, ‘Hard Man’, the autobiographical examination of his relationship with his father has a devastating, redemptive power.