Jack Savoretti - Between the Minds (CD)

All Music Guide

Having performed with Corrine Bailey Rae on her European tour, Jack Savoretti released his debut album between the minds. From a young man who claimed he wrote poetry as a child and never even picked up a guitar until he was 16 years old, finding that more people listened to him when he sung that if he were to recite poetry, it was a remarkably assured debut. However, 2007 was possibly the wrong time to release an album of acoustic ballads sung with a gruff voice, almost Leonard Cohenish in its quality but for a higher register, for there were already a plethora of singersongwriters in this genre including Damien Rice, Ray LaMontagne and Ben Harper and not forgetting the kings of recent acoustic songwriting David Gray and James Blunt, producing very similar albums and consequently, Between The Minds got a little lost in the crowd, peaking at no.70 in the charts for just one week. After four songs, all acoustic ballads with a simple guitar picking backing, the track Without came along w...hich introduced strings and was followed by Black Rain that actually speeded up the pace a little, but then it was back to one man and his guitar on Apologies, Soldier's Eyes, a poignant anti war tale and Chemical Courage and at the end of the album, one was left with a feeling a everything having been done before longing less depression and more songs like Black Rain which although continuing the dark subject matter, at least had some fighting spirit. - Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide Read more Less