Sorry I Missed It - Bentley Jones "Upgrade 1.0"

Yet again, this is an example of something that I knew good and well was coming, but when it came time for the release, things just got lost in the mix. This gem came out back in October, and was the long awaited major label debut from UK gone Japanese artist Bentley Jones. "Upgrade 1.0" might sound like a re-packaged album for his debut, but it is "So Much More" than that.

Honestly I don't know how I could have missed posting about this. My original plan was to review it as soon as it came out, but I guess time got the better of me. With the title, I expected this to be a lot of older material re-recorded or remastered for the new album, but it was actually a full new album sans two old tracks that have had major upgrades. The album spans fifteen songs (or more if you got to it early), and each of them are worth a listen.

The album retains that J-Pop vibe that Bentely has taken on recently, while retaining his harder edge he has grown to have since his days as "that Sonic music guy." It goes from slower power ballad songs such as "Touchscreen" to more intense pop tracks such as "Boys And Girls". This album was obviously tailored for Japanese audiences, as it uses a lot of Japanese words and phrases, much like his "Entourage" EP, but the majority of the album is sang in English.

Not all of the tracks are new, of course. "Down In Toyko" got a major update for this album. Originally from his "Finally Free" album, this upgraded version make the original look like an unpolished demo. So many more effects have been added in and additional backing instrumentals are pushed to the foreground. "Joyful" on the other hand, seems to be brought down by it's "Winter" upgrade. The song was from his most recent EP, which was pretty much on par quality wise with this album, so not a lot has changed other than making it sound a bit more full.

The album has a couple of featured artists, such as his long time collaborator and friend Curtis Young, and fellow English speaking J-Pop artist May J. There is also a track featuring an artist named Shun which is credited as "featuring Shun and Bentley Jones" for some odd reason. Other than that the album is all Bentley, showing that he doesn't need big names or tons of help to make a name for himself.

Originally there was an extended version available on US iTunes (which has since disappeared) that featured the previous singles such as "Oh-Wei-Oh" and "Bad Boi" as bonus tracks. Currently all that is available now on iTunes is the standard version with the original fifteen tracks. You can grab it here.