Wrap your head around this one- Jack Butler isn’t some solo, chest thumping troubadour, he’s a band! Better than your average indie upstarts they combine elements of artrock, poppy hooks, and even the occasional disco drum beat (thanks Franz Ferdinand). The ‘Surgery 1984’ single calls to mind the sadly departed Rakes, the wiry guitars, the insistent rhythm section practically begging the kohl eyed lovelies down the front to dance. The melodies are pretty catchy too, sadly it’s all a bit too heavily influenced by their undoubtedly ‘diverse’ record collections. I’d go out on a limb and suggest Jack Butler likes a bit of Bloc Party, Cribs, Foals, Editors, et al. The songs are naive but their youthful exuberance is infectious, with a bit of time they could be an interesting prospect. Jack Butler assure us that, “you’ll be air drumming long after you’ve finished listening”. Despite my best efforts to stop you can still see me on the back seat of the number 44 arms furiously pumping to ‘Surgery 1984’ stuck on repeat in my head.
