This prince charming's ambitious pop reminds us of the brash, brilliantly bolshy quality of Adam Ant
Hometown: Enfield.
The lineup: Richard Forbes (vocals, piano, drums and guitar).
The background: We're not saying we've got a varied and interesting job or anything, but one day last week we interviewed Adam Ant in the morning, then spent the afternoon at Goldie's house. How amazing would it be to follow that sentence by proclaiming that today's new act is a cross between Adam Ant and Goldie? Really amazing, right?
Well, he's not. But he does have something of Adam Ant about him. Not that he brandishes firearms in public places or anything, but he does sport a military jacket on the cover of his new single that vaguely resembles the one that Adam was inspired to wear circa Kings of the Wild Frontier after seeing David Hemmings in the 1968 film The Charge of the Light Brigade. And his songs, or at least some of them anyway, have a modicum of the brash, brilliantly bolshy quality of the best Ant music.
A modicum, we said. Heroes, the new single by King Jacks ? who used to be a four-piece but have now slimmed down to just multi-instrumentalist songwriter Richard Forbes ? is nowhere near as good as something like Prince Charming (not that there is anything like Prince Charming), but listening to those handclaps, the big, bold drums, the twangy guitar and the way Forbes's voice is treated to make it sound like a small army, we can't help being reminded of the glory that was 1981-2 Adam Ant.
Forbes has produced and self-funded a whole album of this stuff. It's called Please Everyone, Please Yourself and, using money earned from teaching in hs spare time, he has amassed the necessary equipment ? MacBook Pro, Fender Telecaster, Roland Juno, drums, Fender Jazz Bass ? to make a Burundi-ish racket, all on his own. Think Adam, but also the early-70s glam blockbusters of Chinn-Chapman. King Jacks hasn't quite managed anything as awesomely bonkers as Stand and Deliver or Ballroom Blitz on the album ? most of it veers closer to Kaiser Chiefs ? but he's getting there, if indeed Forbes has a future beyond the meagre rewards afforded by an appreciated cult debut.
Still, you've got to applaud his effort, even as we bemoan the fact that we're praising someone for being a fraction as incredible as an artist from 30 years ago. The ambition is clearly there. He's even got this ongoing plan ? Project e11even ? that involves roping in different directors to make a video for each of the 11 tracks on his album; he then intends to get 11 remixers to each remix a song, and there will be an 11-date tour.
The video idea is interesting ? he wants each director to use a different format to film on, and each will be paid a denomination of 11 starting at 11 pence up to 11 grand, "based on the complexity of the video and format". The first one, for Heroes, stars rent-a-hardnut Danny Dyer who in the story arranges for a bunch of heavies to meet in some abandoned estate that you think will play host to a ruck, but in fact turns out to be for a rave. It's not exactly Diana Dors dressed as a fairy godmother, but it's a start.
The buzz: "He's a diamond" ? the people of Enfield.
The truth: Ridicule is nothing to be scared of.
Most likely to: Paint a white stripe across his nose.
Least likely to: Chuck a car alternator through a pub window.
What to buy: Heroes is released on 21 March, followed by the album.
File next to: Joboxers, Adam Ant, the Sweet, Kaiser Chiefs.
Links: kingjacks.com.
Tuesday's new band: Dark Dark Dark.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/28/new-band-king-jacks
Bianca Kajlich Giulianna Ramirez Ashley Greene April Scott Mia Kirshner
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