Just Jack

While the rest of the music blogging world is spaffing themselves blind (excuse the crude, scientifically inaccurate phrase) over The Horrors and their new album, I am not here to talk about that. No, instead I shall discuss the life and dreams of Jack Allsop, better known as Just Jack. I'll do him an immense disservice and say that he's a bit like an electro pop variant of Jamie T and Mike Skinner.

Jack's probably best known for his diatribe 'Starz In Their Eyes', an attack on the fame game, inspired by Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus' rise and almost immediate tumble out of the limelight. New single 'Embers' hasn't quite hit the upper echelons of chartdom that 'Starz In Their Eyes' did but I'd argue that this is the superior track. In fact, much like The Horrors, this is a venture from past material. Drawing comparisons to Ian Brown's 'F.E.A.R', 'Embers' is a strings-laden handclap extravaganza that offers the brilliantly simple refrain that "we are all embers, from the same fire". Maybe he should change his name to Profound Jack. Except that'd be rubbish.

Jack was recently in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge on Jo Whiley's show to play his new single and a cover. Check out Jack's reggae take on T.I and Rihanna's 'Live Your Life' below.

JUST JACK - EMBERS (RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE SESSION)

JUST JACK - LIVE YOUR LIFE (T.I FT RIHANNA RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE COVER)

'Embers' is out now, followed by Jack's third album 'All Night Cinema' which you can get on pre-order for less than eight squid on [Amazon.co.uk]. Jack will also be appearing on the V Festival unsigned band comp, Road To V, which is on telly on Virgin1 on the first Friday of every month.