OldJack
Maxi-Single
2011
OldJack are a live favorite of mine. Pack this crew onto a small stage with some hot lights and their presence is downright combustible. It would be impossible to capture all that energy in a recording studio.* I, for one, am glad they were crazy enough to try. The result is a smoldering virtual slab of rock, rhythm and blues.**
This set opens with the swagger of “Hey Miss”. The band finds a groove and Dan Nicklin gets all Mick Jagger on your ass. Set closer “Make Up Your Mind” contrasts this with a sense of yearning and hints of a Dire Straits influence.
In the middle of it all stands “Parade”. This song is a staple of OldJack’s live set and a personal favorite of mine. It’s the one that prompted me to write “there is something special about the moments when Dan Nicklin, Kelly Davis, Christie Beaulieu and Emily Belastock all sing together” after a set at the Lizard. To me, it’s the song that defines OldJack.*** You don’t write a song this good without being onto something special. OldJack is onto something special. Thankfully, they’ve chosen to share that something with us.
Where to get it:
* Which is why I will once again implore you to go see OldJack at a club near you. Hell, travel a great distance if you have to.
**Or is it rock, country and soul?
***My five year old son would make a case for “Love Me Or?” being OldJack’s defining song.