Jonny Jack is obviously a fantastic singer (“and he’s Scottish”, too, his press release pipes up, as if this were a notorious handicap).
But whether Jonny Jack is singing fantastic songs is more debatable.
Jack’s voice flits and sparks like a live wire right from the first note; it’s genuinely exciting to encounter a voice like his for the first time.
And ‘Renée’ is a tight and economical vehicle for him to showcase it, but it’s far too calculated, and disappointingly predictable as a result.
The verses are sparse, with a light dusting of shimmery guitar over a rock-steady rhythm section; this is a shrewd arrangement choice, allowing Jack’s tenor the space it needs to properly resonate.
But the unconvincing clichés masquerading as lyrics (“play your games”, “up in flames”, “just the same”, etc.) immediately bring the whole song down, despite Jack’s unrelentingly passionate delivery.
The chorus, too, lacks the punch it so desperately needs; the drums seem to sink away into the background just at the point where they should be lifting the song up a whole notch.
‘Renée’ never quite resolves into the ‘moment’ it feels like it’s working towards, and leaves the listener oddly unsatisfied.
And while Jack’s voice absolutely impresses, the lyrical content gets in the way of communicating any real artistic personality.
Just as ‘Renée’ herself never becomes anything more than a collection of clichés, I’m left wondering who, if anyone, Jonny Jack really is.
Words: Graham Neil Gillespie
