Overtones

Description

Product Description Just Jack: Part 1 begins in 2002, with a young Londoner feedingsounds between two tape decks in a bedroom to produce a much-lovedalbum and a savvy little touring operation. It ends shortly afterwith the tiny record label that unearthed his talent going bust.Every cloud has a silver lining? Possibly. Just Jack: Part 2 begins in 2005, alittle more auspiciously, with him signing on Mercury Record's dotted line (in the UK).Neither bound by musical restrictions nor the notional idea of cool,Just Jack has taken the sum of his individual influences and turned theminto a unique, genre-hopping, jump-up album - the smash-hit, hook laden,space-disco odyssey "Overtones."He's steadily collated his teen experiences and set them against hislyrical ear for the specific experiences of his unsung generation. Youknow the guy that weathered acid house and came out the otherend beaming, fully realising that parties might not necessarily be theanswer, but had a whole lot of fun finding that out? That's Jack Allsopp."Overtones" is a joyous, zeitgeist-leaning slice of intuitive songwriting.While it fits into the new school of British storytelling, it isn't ashamedto wear its party heart on its sleeve. Just Jack isn't angsty or self-regarding.He knows that a delicious, sly groove is the best way toaccess the soul. You know the guy that tells you a funny,idiosyncratic story, slightly off his head in a small, sweaty, darkenedroom at 2am with a mirror ball twirling in the background? That'sJack Allsopp as well. He s a born communicator.Just Jack's music is the conduit to his laconic life philosophies. Jack'sexperience of the night-time began at a time when house DJs wouldbe unafraid to throw in a bit of hip-hop or pop if the mood felt right.As he points out with his trademark disregard for bandwagonjumping, when an era throws up something as thoroughly groovy asThe Jungle Brother's "I'll House You" and Carly Simon's "Why" to JoeyBeltram's "Energy Flash", why not celebrate the diversity of it?Not that Jack is in thrall to retro sounds. His music is something thathasn't been heard before. Whether it be on the balls-out houseshimmy of his UK smash "Starz In Their Eyes" - Jack's questioning ode to the Heatgeneration - or the muted, pulsing melodies of "Disco Friends" (whohasn't got one of those?) he's armed with a backpack full ofanthems in the waiting.Just check out the second UK single, "Glory Days," a prime glimpseinto the laid-back flare of the world of Just Jack.A North London boy by birth and now choice, Jack was going to bea furniture designer but having completed a degree, realised thathis designs should be moving rather than static. His five-yearapprenticeship as a bedroom dabbler chopping up obscurerecords, led to a debut album, "The Outer Marker" receiving arapturous reception from press and fans alike.Just Jack isn t hip-hop, heisn't house and he isn't lush singer-songwriting. He's a bit of all of them.Is it wrong to call what I do interesting pop music? he says, stilldelightfully unsure as to where his unique take on the adolescentexperience might fit in. Nope, Jack. It sounds Just about right.Boasting 12 tracks that bristle with shimmering melodies, "Overtones" is Jack s most definitive work to date and has fast become one ofthe must-have albums of the moment. Review "Sharper-eyed and melodically smarter than the rest of the pack." --Nme, 2007"An exquisitely poignant dance-pop requiem." --Spin, July 2007"Sublime switches between hip-hop, pop and dance." --Attitude