A wonderful night at the cinema!
Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 07/28/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just Jack, along with fellow Brits Lily Allen, Jamie T and The Streets, brought us music which gave us a cheeky and witty insight into everyday life in the UK. "All night cinema" is Just Jack's third CD, and features a vast array of musical styles, from the musically adventurous opening cut (and lead-off single) "Embers" (with jumping violins and hand claps) to the bouncy accordion-peppered "253", everything on the disc thrills.
The next song deals with darker fare; the laid back "The day I died" is an acoustic Streets-style spoken/sung telling us "The day I died was the best day of my life", a humorous look at the fictional last day of his life with a twist at the end of the tale. "Doctor doctor" is an upbeat Dance song with spoken (spit-fire) lyrics and an incredibly catchy chorus, while "So wrong" has an even clubbier feel.
Next is "Blood", a melodramatic narrative about juvenile delinquents and the effect on their families:"I still love you/blood is always thicker than water/I still love you forever forever whatever you do". A truly stirring piece.
Title track "All night cinema" is a chilled downbeat song with gently skittery beats and dreamy "Oooooooh" harmonies and nice electronic flourishes. "Astronaut" is bouncy clap-filled Pop with a chorus that is so Jason Mraz. Ambulance siren sounds announce the full on Electro club song "Goth in the disco" (All Pet Shop Boys-like with a reverb-filled chorus), "Lo and behold" is a guitar-driven ballad and a (fitting) droll performance, while closing is the pulsing guitar-driven instrumantal "Basement" (with nice dramatic strings).
Vintage Just Jack, but even more interesting musically!"