If the internet’s done one thing for rock, it’s ensured that the fanfare of expectation surrounding new artists is deafening before they’ve even laid down a note in terms of ‘official’ releases.
So it goes with 22-year old Londoner JACK PENATE. Yes, I grant you he’s a hard-worker who gigs constantly, not to mention appearing with all the right people like Lily Allen and Babyshambles, but – thanks to the magic of myspace – the Chinese whispers surrounding his burgeoning reputation have become inescapable long before his debut single ‘Second, Minute Or Hour’ finally plonks through this writer’s letterbox.
And, while Jack clearly has a well-developed sense of melody, I have to say the results are ultimately something of an anti-climax. Yeah, ‘Second, Minute Or Hour’ is undeniably pleasant, providing you enjoy chirpy, Lahndan vocals and believe The Housemartins remain the benchmark of all that’s great in jangly (Brit)pop, but otherwise…well, like I said, it’s a tad underwhelming really.
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Flipside ‘Got My Favourite’ doesn’t help to lift him above the morass either. Built around lo-fi strumming and – admittedly likeable – naïve vocals, it’s a happy-with-my-lot exercise with our hero telling us he’s delighted ‘cos he’s “got my favourite dog tag/ the one I got one day wiv my Dad.” T’riffic. But hardly envelope-shoving by any stretch of the imagination.
OK, it’s only the young chappie’s first single, but I can’t help thinking the results will collapse under the weight of unrealistic expectations and we’ll see yet another wunderkind harpooned seconds after being hailed as the latest great white hope or whatever you want to call it this week. With that in mind, your reviewer’s gonna give him a chance to develop and take a rain check for now.
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