Toby And The Whole Truth – 'Ignorance Is Bliss' Re-released 17th July 2020 (originally released 1995)

After the unexpected split up of Little Angels in early 1994 and following their final show at a sold out Albert Hall in London, frontman Toby Jepson found himself in a world of pain due to the fact that a band that were on the crest of a wave after three successful albums, had decided to call it a day. Internal friction, dwindling record company support from Polydor and a fast-changing music scene - he was feeling hurt, abandoned, and decidedly confused. Toby still had some creative juices running though his veins and decided to vent this in what would become ‘Ignorance Is Bliss’.

With songs that are far away from the pop/rock style of the aforementioned Little Angels, he hunkered down in a homemade studio and set about getting his feelings off his chest. Described as experimental, lo-fi, abrasive, beautiful, honest in the extreme and sonically cutting, this album was written in an attempt to explore and ultimately try to heal his turmoil.

Just reading the song titles you start to wonder who these dark and overbearing titles are aimed at, if anyone. Opener ‘Some People Are More Equal Than Others’ has that rawness you’d expect from a low budget release. A brooding low-tempo song with swirling guitars. This definitely is not Little Angels. The tempo doesn’t really change for ‘Better Off Without Me’. Tinged with Nirvanaesque guitar sounds, you can hear the anguish Toby was going through.

‘Slipping Through Your Fingers’ again starts off with a lonely guitar riff before the industrial sounding drums and bass kick in. The line “There is no doubt I’m Inside And Out” gives us another insight into his state of mind at the time. This song is a slow burner and grows into something strong. ‘Haven’t Got The Strength’ continues with the mid-tempo riffy style of songs. A monstrous almost overbearing bassline, akin to Metallica, underpins the song.

Fast forward a couple of similar songs and we come to the current single release ‘I Won’t Be With You’. If there ever was a song that should have been a James Bond track, this is it. Broody and alluring straight away. What had been missing from the album so far for me was a catchy chorus that we were used to from Toby’s former offerings. This has that and boy it makes this song pretty much damn complete. ‘Save Me From Myself’ slows it down a little and we’re back into the familiar swirly guitars that have a complex riff underneath most of the song.

‘Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind’ is an acoustic number that has a folky/psychedelic feeling to it, drawing you into the darkness in Toby’s head. ‘Harder All The Time’ has a RHCP vibe to it, with a growling and rotund bass line that solidifies the song, along with the tribal drums. You can hear a bit of Little Angels in this song - probably the closest you’ll get on the whole album. It also has a cracking solo, with another on the outro too.

As the album nears the end, we get a more up-tempo song with cowbell and a guitar riff that will melt your face off - something that was lacking in that period in time. ‘Open Your Mind’ maybe was that song where Toby was telling himself or someone else something profound. The song that certainly has the biggest riff on the record. But take the riff away and here’s something that would perhaps be considered ‘indie’ in style, typical of the Madchester scene.

Two bonus tracks complete the release; ‘Get Your Feet On’ with its grungy guitar and ‘Spiritually Bankrupt’ exploring the acoustic side of things.

A rather different album from someone who was recognised as a writer of more melodic songs during the first part of his career. I found this difficult on first listen. However, once I stuck headphones on and listened to it with a different intensity, it became clearer. Here was a man abandoned by the fame and adulation of the first successful part of his career and was searching for a way to show his feelings. Since the original release, Toby has tried to explain how the album was written and the feelings he had whilst doing so. Described now as being more about talking to himself to cope with the loss of his Little Angels band and family, he was opening himself up and “bleeding” creative content.

About to be re-released on Toby’s own record label Jepsongs Recordings, this remastered version comes with 36 pages of notes, drawings, and explanations to help you get the most out of the release. The album pre-order is available via Toby's new official website https://www.tobyjepsonofficial.com