Overtones

this album is sure to appeal to fans of The Streets and Lily Allen.

A lot has happened between the release of Just Jack's first album and his second album, 'Overtones'. When 'The Outer Marker' debuted in 2002, it was overshadowed by The Streets' first album, 'Original Pirate Material'. Now, though, Just Jack, a.k.a. Jack Allsop, is getting some long-deserved recognition.

There are, after all, strong similarities between Just Jack and The Streets' Mike Skinner. Both artists have an ultra-laid-back and laconic delivery style, and both are quintessentially English in sound and subject material. However, where Skinner has made his reputation for his witticisms and cheeky observations, Just Jack is far more serious-minded. His observations are of a different world than the council estates of Skinner' lyrics. Instead, Just Jack spins tales of middle class ennui ("Lost"), an inability to communicate with his girlfriend ("I Talk Too Much"), or the loss of his youth ("Hold On"). But it's not all gloominess here: "Glory Days" skips along with a summery jaunty beat and a bright brass break that perfectly depicts the elation that comes after a period of depression.

Like Just Jack himself, 'Overtones' is mature and thoughtful, proving that hip hop need not necessarily be by, for, or about kids