thu 05/12/2024

CD: Jack Peñate - After You | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Jack Peñate - After You

CD: Jack Peñate - After You

Quality indie pop 10 years in the making

'After You': rich and professional, yet stripped back

Do you remember Jack Peñate? His name may have been forgotten by some, or not heard yet by others.

But his new album After You, following from Matinée (2007) and Everything is New (2009), is worth the listen for the fans of smart, intricate pop music that is true to the independent vibe. Jack has very audibly moved away from his original playful, naïve indie rock sound which led to his early success, to pursue a much more mature take on making music. But will his original audience follow?

Well, they might, and Peñate is likely to gain some new listeners too, because After You is a clear indication of a journey of learning in artistic self-sufficiency: singing, songwriting, production, and musicianship. Both singles released in advance of the forthcoming album – “Prayer” and “Murderer” – effectively showcase the "earworm" qualities of Peñate’s new material. In fact, all the tracks on this album are different and memorable, from the melancholic and emotionally charged “Cipralex” to the provocative spoken word and instrumental “Gemini”. Themes of struggle, hope and belief are interwoven throughout the album in a sophisticated but honest way, in both sound and lyrics that draw inspiration from diverse music styles and philosophies.

Overall, Peñate has created what might be described as an intelligent pop album: too complex to belong to a generic category but also accessible to a wide audience.  What is particularly cool about it though is the combination of a rich and professional yet stripped-back sound. It emphasises Peñate’s loyalty to a DIY approach to making music that maintains his legitimate position in the independent sector that he is part of as an XL Recordings artist. That said, the album hardly contains any of the original raw energy and fun rock guitar riffs that initially brought recognition and chart success to Peñate a decade or so ago.

Jack has very audibly moved away from his original playful, naïve indie rock sound which led to his early success

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Explore topics

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters