The Outer Marker

by Kenyon HopkinWith one foot in British garage and the other in soulful pop, it's easy to refer to Just Jack as the Streets lite or an inventive Robbie Williams. The fact is, however, that Just Jack crosses the lines of both spheres with ease while dabbling in several other genres as well. He begins The Outer Marker with the smooth "Let's Get Really Honest" and "Paradise (Lost & Found)," but quickly shifts the mood with "Lesson One," a replica of the Streets that even mentions that "it's hard sometimes trying to be a geezer." "Snowflakes" brings Just Jack's brooding side up a notch with the whispering, nearly haunting lyrics "Sometimes it feels like I'm looking through a pane of glass/I can see your mouth move but can't hear the words." He's not as successful with the funk on "Contradictions" or the electro-inspired "Snapshot Memories," but The Outer Marker is still an ambitious debut.