Sunday, October 07, 2007
Jack Penate - Old Market Theatre
Back in Jauary Jack Penate was just one of a clutch of bright young LDNnners swept up in Lilly Allen’s straight talking slipstream. Nine months later and Penate is enjoying a degree of mainstream success with a fistful of punchy singles sitting pretty in the upper end of the daytime radio charts.
It’s not difficult to see Penate’s appeal, blessed as he is with dashing looks and positively bristling with charisma on stage. To boot, his particular brand of hooky, stop-start guitar pop manages to straddle Rockabilly, Blue-eyed soul and honest to goodness Indie giving him genuine cross-generational appeal.
Apparently Penate’s not been to bed in the last 24 hours but other than some rambling between song banter you wouldn’t have guessed it as he bounded across the length and breadth of the Old Market’s ample stage, spanking the life out of a newly acquired Telecaster with some white-knuckle rhythm playing.
Sadly though the lack of solo instruments, characterless workaday style of his backing band, relentless jangling and frenetic pace at which the bulk of the material is delivered all become a little wearing.
There is some respite in a delicate reading of ‘My Yvonne’ during which Penate proved he possesses a voice of some depth and versatility. So why such a compelling performer and skilled songwriter is sticking so rigidly to one stylistic template is both a mystery and a shame.
posted by: Jim Brackpool @ 10:12 PM
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