Formed in the summer of 2016, the Los-Angeles based band The Jacks have been playing to sold-out shows at such iconic venues as The Roxy, The Viper Room and The Troubadour. Having closely followed the band for the past year, I had high expectations of their new EP release, Remember You. Working with multiple Grammy-Award winning producer Joe Ciccarelli (The Raconteurs, The White Stripes), This project held high expectations for this reviewer, a self-admitted fan of the band. Happily, The Jacks do not disappoint, and it is clear their songwriting skills have only improved with this newest endeavor.
The rollicking, groove-driven “Threw It All Away” sets the tone and demonstrates the band’s passion for good ‘ole rock ‘n roll. Scott Stone’s heavy bass and Tom Hunter’s fresh, funky guitar, along with Jonny Stanback’s spot-on vocals, immediately draw the listener in. “We Were Only Young” follows and brings that first spark down a bit to a glowing ember. This tune is a real gem – a terrific slow-jam that continues the momentum of the set.
“Oliva” was the first release from the EP, and I was fortunate enough to hear it last year when The Jacks performed it acoustically at Sonic Temple. Sounding much more polished since I heard it, this song has quite a lovely melody and it takes the tone of the EP down another notch as listeners are brought into the world of fondly reminiscing past love.
Turning the heat back up, “Only One” follows next and picks up the pace. This song has the familiar feel of rock ‘n roll, California-style; the upbeat melody catches the ear first, then the inevitable passion and jealousy of unrequited love comes through upon a closer listen. Wrapping up with “Just A Little Bit”, The Jacks pull out all the stops and Josh Roossin’s drumming, along with Hunter’s wailing guitar, really shine. Catchy and upbeat, this is a tune that you will find yourself humming all day long and it is exactly the way to leave the listener: wanting to hear more.
I can’t be any more impressed with this release from The Jacks – they’ve poured their passion for their music and songwriting into this new release and it’s quite clear that there’s much more to look forward to from them. It is a much more polished sound and the perfect response to their fans who are part of the “rock ‘n roll revolution.”
The Jacks are Jonny Stanback (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Tom Hunter (lead guitar and vocals), Scott Stone (bass guitar and vocals) and Josh Roossin (drums and percussion). They released their highly-anticipated second EP, Remember You, on March 6, 2020. They will be touring this spring and will appear locally in Columbus at Skully’s on May 15, 2029 and in Indianapolis at The Rathskeller on May 17, 2020.
