Jack Wallen - Although EP
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| Jack Wallen - Although EP |
Mr Jack Wallen is a Cornishman
with an impressive beard and pain in his eyes. This is almost enough for me to
decide that I love him but I've been fooled before so I'm going to hold back
until I've heard the music. This four track EP from the Westcountry troubadour kicks
off with the gentle tones of title track 'Although' which immediately shows off
Wallen's fragile, wounded vocals with a sense of smoothness that could see him
make a passable stab at being a crooner if the mood took him. 'Soles' continues
the theme of delicately plucked guitar strings that draw you in only for you to
be swept away by the man's sumptuous vocals, drizzled with just the right
amount of delay to make the most of his impressive range. As the percussion and
strings swell, the song undulates like a tempestuous tide on a rocky beach with
a mixture of soul and blues in his voice.
'These Truths' starts with a Motown
drum stomp as the only accompaniment to Wallen's voice until the guitar creeps
in, almost unnoticed, through the back door of a smoky club. You can entirely
imagine Wallen in a dishevelled suit, tie loosened and singing through the
smoke and sweat to win back the heart of the indifferent beauty sipping whisky
at the bar. The EP closes with the much more sombre 'Wild Enough' which is an
almost apologetically shy tune full of break-of-dawn regret and the kind of
natural soul that Brother and Bones or Amy Winehouse exude rather than forced
showmanship. Wallen is a talented musician and excellent vocalist but, what's
more, the guy has natural soul and that is a rare, rare thing these days. Go
find him in a dark, intimate bar and keep an eye on which lady he's staring at
during the performance - she's broken his heart once and she'll do it again,
probably tonight...
More information: http://www.jackwallenmusic.com/
Live Dates:
23rd April - South Devon Arts Centre, Totnes
26th April - Chapel Arts Centre, Bath