Jack Peñate

Everything Is New

XL Recordings

Singer-songwriter Jack Peñate is an accomplished musician who made it by playing shows at the local pub and club scene. His second full length album, “Everything is New,” is a collection of pop rock songs each demonstrating the different ranges Jack is capable of. The album is nine tracks of open/closed high-hat work, fuzzy guitars and a full blown tenor sometimes hitting that falsetto register.

Most of the tracks on the album are easily accessible to anyone with a pop ear, which is to say that most of the tracks are forgettable and you’ll probably find yourself scanning through the album for something stronger. “Let’s All Die”, did entice my ear because it’s one of the darkest tracks on the album, while still managing to have a fun tropical feel to it. Let’s face it, songs about death are usually pretty cool.

One of the album’s saving graces is the fact that it is only 9 tracks in length, clocking in at around half an hour. However, there is a strong sense of musicianship on the album. In tracks like “Tonight’s Today”, “Give Yourself Away”, and “Body Down” we can hear Jack experimenting with a handful of different pop-rock platitudes. A break down jungle beat, one pretty cool guitar solo and a track with a lot of layered vocals does not make a typical pop album.

This album will likely entertain you and you may find yourself listening to it on a night out between each bar stop.

-Daniel Lopez Lopez