Where the moody, acoustic guitar scene is concerned, the most infuriating persona of the artist is surely the ‘gimmick’ they all have – most of them claim to have seen more heartache than Jane Eyre, or grew up in a crack-filled den with thirty dead cats.
Jack James’ free album will refresh and enlighten
Massively refreshing then is Glaswegian Jack James, the self-confessed ‘regular dude’ who plays guitar to express everyday life rather than something that sounds like it came from Cameron Crowe’s latest flick. His debut album ‘Lights off, headphones on’ is foundations that the singer/guitarist will hopefully build on. Similar to the likes of Johnny Cash and Damien Rice, James has a substance and guile about his work that’s rarely heard in the mass market. It’s real and raw– not something produced in a million dollar recording studio there just to generate income.
As a whole the album is very fun and, after several plays, is much deeper than expected. The highlight song, Visit, regales an awkward first date with some fantastically honest lyrics that people can genuinely relate too. Jack James has created an album that, in the best way possible, sounds like your best mate wrote it. If you’re sick of poker faces, sex that’s bemusingly on fire and feeling distanced from music, then Jack James’ (free!) album will refresh and enlighten.