singer/songwriters / guitarists presents :

Jack Cheshire

demo (2006), demo (2006) ; CD (2007)

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demo      Jack Cheshire : Little Moon / Green is the Colour (UK,2006)****

Sometimes I do not find it easy to describe why an artist is good and how it sounds like. I only know I can put the songs on repeat and keep on enjoying them. I should have learned acoustic guitar, to be able to describe Jack's guitar playing, or should have a better memory to give a correct reference that gives the right idea, and not just a vague idea...

For me, "Little Moon" is like rhythmical poetry, with the guitar pickings, and with the song, a first favourite of mine, like a lullaby or musical box with rich sounds and expressed by a singer with a guitar who succeed to bring forward various harmonies from his guitar, that sound like expressing the chords of the body of the instrument. The guitar is like the full moon, spreading its chords in the air. Slightly romantic and idealized in circumstances I could fall asleep on this musical pillow, with wishful prosperous thoughts. Brilliant. I could only express it with different poetry, which I will not.

"Green is the colour" with harmonious picking and rhythmic harmonies like acoustic rock and an orchestra in the guitar has equally rich qualities, with a slightly more rocking association (from rocking asleep to rocking awake)... Very good. (A new talent on the horizon).

private pressing    Jack Cheshire : Allow It To Come On (UK,2007)***°

Finally, Jack Cheshire got an official release, not too long after the promising demo’s I have heard before.

The song “Little Moon” luckily is included. This attractive song that unconsciously keeps humming in your head, is arranged with hand shakers and wooden ticks, and an emphasized, ever changing in tension of all kinds of picking tunes and themes and sounds of acoustic guitar, and a bit of electric bass.

The guitars shake fluently while some rainy sticks hand shake rhythms and ticking wood clicks continue to be added on the next track, “Fireworks”.

At times, vocally and for the song tunes I’m reminded of Pat Orchard (“Love”, “My own parade”). The songs gently linger on, with guitar picking arrangements, and some additional hand shakers here and there, with often small spaces for stretching out instrumental musings, and bit of additional production effects here and there or vocal repetition arrangements.

Many songs have some catchiness, a bit unclear to say which are the things that makes them really linger on; often it is certain rhythmic evolutions in the melody in the song, while the song subjects tickle a bit more the unconsciousness, in a way they stay with you, in a way that you are drawn back to them again an again, like a friend paying a visit.

Audio & info : http://www.myspace.com/JackCheshire

demo    Jack Cheshire : Love The Eyes / Carousel / Tombs (UK,2006)****

These 3 tracks are other, more calm alternative folk-pop musings, with on “Love the Eyes” the guitar picking this is a bit more linear with the song, in a slowly brushing melodious rhythm.

“Carousel” has some band arrangements to it, starting in the second verse (with cello ?, double bass and drumming). This carousel sounds like a metaphor for a slowly moving towards someone, in a romantic way, adapting the rhythms to the combined energy of two persons, until he’s able to bring the other into the circle dance of musings.

“Tombs” has a different, more concluding rhythm on the guitar, making sounds as if using a bell sound to what sounds like the clicking of a clock, like an energy of time passing by, towards a closing end.

This 3-track EP has a sense of poetry, in a very compact, striving towards-the-essence-way, and seems to be inspired at least with what reflects in the guitar. Talented !

Audio & info : http://www.myspace.com/JackCheshire