Check out the ethereal depths of ‘Whereabouts Unknown’ from Jack Blackman. The music gradually builds, with flourishes of haunting slide guitar, as Blackman muses, “What keeps this planet turning? // No-one knows, no-one knows, // While lonely hearts are yearning, // That’s how it goes around.” Bleak wintry woodland in Warwickshire forms the backdrop to a simple, yet effective video that matches the song’s contemplative vibe. The starkness of the surroundings and Blackman’s wistful, care-worn voice reinforce the song’s emotional theme of losing your way in the world.
It’s the latest from Jack Blackman who has kept busy throughout the pandemic, releasing new material covering a range of roots genres. Blackman established himself in the UK roots scene while still a teenager and, in subsequent years, he has been praised, with good reason, by the likes of Sadler Vaden, Martin Simpson and Bob Harris for his guitar-skills and excellent songcraft. This is absorbing music to lose yourself in.
