Though barely in his twenties, Jack Savoretti has been making gentle waves with every strum of his guitar, each note causing a ripple that has seen him heralded as the next big troubadour. Genre-dropping is usually a burden for most artists, but for Savoretti’s sensitive and delicate approach – reminiscent of Nick Drake, Ben Harper, Ray LaMontagne and Jeff Buckley all at the same time – it becomes something of a badge of honour. I must confess that the opening track Dreamers – infectious though it may be – did beam me back to a particular (and predictable) Dylan tune, and most of the other tracks, such as No One’s Aware, Black Rain, Killing Man or Soldier’s Eyes, for example, do bear strong references to some of the music world’s top flight acoustic artists. Originality then, is not at the top of Savoretti’s agenda. To his credit, however, there is nothing to suggest that he ever pretended to be so. He sounds more content to reel out his words and music in the simplest of ways, his one intention possibly being that of getting noticed. Admittedly acoustic singer/ songwriters are quite the in-thing nowadays, which has prompted the emergence of perhaps a few too many aspiring artists. In the long run, though, there are those who sink and those who swim to make it to the next level. Despite lacking that innovative streak that could put him above his peers, Savoretti sounds like he has the stamina to endure.

CD Courtesy of exotique