Just Jack a.k.a. Jack Allsopp is probably the UK's finest musical export to America in years and his new album Overtones should finally confirm the buzz that's currently bubbling under in the US. Allsopp is already being hailed as a musical innovator for writing witty pop songs that force you to think as well as dance. Jack had originally wanted to become a furniture designer but after a five-year stint as a bed dabbler, he realized his artistic talent should be used to make people move rather than sit down. After his 2003 debut album, the pop, soul, ska, funk and jazz-influenced The Outer Maker, his success expanded exponentially to the point where now some of his most avid fans include legends such as Elton John.

On Overtones, Jack Allsopp sings about his teenage experiences blending the fine line between sensitive, confessional and fun, upbeat music that should resonate with every adolescent and adult. "Writer's Block" begins with Jack lamenting about his inability to write anything. As the song progresses Jack changes his lament into a groovy statement of his desire to party. On first listen, "Starz In Their Eyes," the lead single, seems entirely lighthearted with a funky beat jumping in the background, but it is actually about how young people turn to celebrity worship to cover up their own problems. The song spent four weeks in the Top 5 airplay chart and peaked with an impressive #2 on the UK pop charts. The multi-dimension of this track is present in every other song on Overtones' 12 tracks. It is far too easy for a pop musician to create songs that are fun to listen to and groove to, but it truly marks the arrival of a talented artist when these songs make more than just a momentary impression on one's mind.