Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I have seen the future of indie rock - His name is....Jack Penate, 13 Nov 2007
This is quite possibly the best album I have heard in quite a few months. Reminiscent of The Hoosiers album, Jack Penate (pronounced `Pen at ay' and not `pen eight' as some of my esteemed friends seem to think, has produced an album of informative, insightful and memorable songs.
Some of the album sounds all too familiar with influences ranging from all of the latest indie rockers (The Kooks, The Feeling, The Zutons etc.), but the song writing talent cannot be taken away from this wholly creative, inspired young man. "We Will Be Here", "Second Minute or Hour" and "Torn on the Platform" are outstanding tracks.
This is one you will play and play again and the more you do, the more you will excel yourself with words worthy of any intellectual convincing yourself how much you love it.
The rockin' beats of "Made of Codes" completes a substantive list to make this a distinctive sound, just about every track has a uniqueness (as in the haunting "My Yvonne") that's well thought out and brought together. This isn't a rushed album; it's a well planned artistic experience that any deserving indie fan should have.
I hope Jack grows and grows, as he truly deserves to. Years from now, you will still be playing Jack Penate's Matinee.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ticks all sorts of boxes, 9 Nov 2007
There are many key ingredients to having a successful debut album, and on Matinee Jack Penate seems to have included all the best ones.
Through his distinctive voice, with it's regular forays into the falcetto and London twang, and the fast-paced jangly guitars, Penate definitely creates his own sound and makes his songs instantly recognisable. Whilst some might prefer lyrics to be more abstract, Jack's words are more than a little Dylan-esque in their starkness and clarity, if not necessarily in their complexity, particularly when he is busy being observational.
And with a distinctive voice and good lyrics, what more do you need? Well of course, no debut album can truly be a success without great songs. And it is here that Jack Penate really excells. My favourites are the 4, 5, 6 sequence. Torn on the Platform, probably the stand out track and clear choice for first hit single, shows a love for home that anyone can identify with. Next comes Learning Lines, which I first heard when I saw him play in a pub on Pentonville Road two years ago. Learning Lines (particularly in the 'secret' version which comes after the end of the album) is a very distinctive song, especially when placed here amongst the jingle-jangle of most of the rest of the album, and the vocal is brilliant. Probably my favourite song is Run For Your Life which gives us, through an infectious beat and bouncy chorus, a little taste of Jack's views on the more violent aspects of human nature!
All in all, this is an excellent debut, and perhaps the final key ingredient - and one that ensures success - is that it is really enjoyable to listen to. The songs can bounce along in the background or be listened to up close. They are great lound and quiet, and they inevitably bring a smile to my face.
One thing that becomes fairly clear as you listen to this is that Jack Penate has a very bright future ahead of him.
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1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pop Enthusiasm, 18 Oct 2007
Pop music these days has far too much innocence. As James Blunt writes another love song and Scouting For Girls dedicate another live performance to a 'lov-er-ley' girl, we're in need of help. Of course, if you were in the know, you'd have predicted pop's saviour months ago. And while we finally know how to pronounce his surname correctly, Jack Peñate has timed the release of his debut album to perfection.
And for the saviour factor? Well this guy is obviously pretty darn rebellious. Outside of music, he squirts out arty graffiti images in clubs and gets fined for it. True story. He's a softy at heart though; lyrics in 'Got My Favourite' are "For my mum who I owe all things" and most moments in 'Matinée' are touching romantic love notes turned into songs. Only he and the Maccabees have succeeded in not sounding too innocent while declaring love, and the Londoner takes full advantage of this talent throughout.
So this more than hotly anticipated debut starts proceedings with previous fan favourite and quirky song #55, 'Spit At Stars'. In a live performance, it would start things perfectly, so why change it on record? He knows what he's doing, so do his record company, that's why this album has been so hyped up. A criticism would be that he's far too commercialised, and should have sat on the sidelines for a bit longer before diving into crowds of screaming girls. The recognition has pissed off a lot of people: the musical fanatics who can't understand his charm, and the fans that hate it when a musician gets popular. And yes, personally, I went into reviewing this album with an attitude that disliked Jack Peñate with a mild passion and couldn't quite figure out why he was going to be so huge. But this album explains a lot of things. The man has talent, and he's only got his eyes set on one style of music which will make girls dance and make guys cringe. The twee-nagers are fans, and 'Matinée' won't do much to change things.
Main problem is nothing flows here. All the hits are scattered about so no listener will get bored and while it was probably a decent idea, every end note of the previous song completely differentiates with the opening note of the next one. And that's usually something that'll put people off. While 'Have I Been a Fool' gives a less-sappy, more-soulful impression than other songs, you can't last to enjoy the moment because its instantly followed up by the words, 'Once more just before Im leaving, Torn on the platform'. Yes, Torn on the Platform', that hit that promoted Jack from hopeful indie star into the top 10 hit league. It annoys many, but there was no way that he could leave it off the album. The "miss you"'s and "love you"'s are priceless to the fans, it's the definitive Jack Peñate song.
And even if you may despise the bloke, you have to hand credit to him. A musician who had a mission to defend the indie-pop scene and he's succeeded in doing so, balancing out all-out dancey songs with soothing love songs, nothing on here will ruin his reputation. Back to those love songs, they're surprisingly the best moments on the record. 'Learning Lines' is a downbeat song with a positive outlook, words "Picture frame, books and shelves, not afraid by myself, metal strings, glowing tubes, Bessie Smith, sings the blues" outline his love of music and his determination to get somewhere. And closer, 'When We Die' certainly has the potential to bring a fresh tear to a teenage girl's eye. The album follows another pop convention by ending on a attemptable, beautiful note, but by God it works.
'Matinée' is only a good album, nothing more, but it has the ability to change non-fans into loyal fans that screech at Jack's every word. And here's a fact; you cannot say you hate Jack Peñate without listening to this album. He won't lose fans, he'll win them, so well done indeed.
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