For many of us, live shows remain a rare experience so we’re delighted to share with you an excellent recording from the Moseley Folk Festival back in the distant summer of 2021. It’ll make you yearn to get back out there enjoying a gig alongside fellow music-lovers. Jack Blackman and the Beautiful Wreck deliver a polished performance of an absorbing new song ‘Still Waiting (For You to Change Your Mind)’. The song is introduced by the late BBC radio legend Janice Long, who compered at the festival. Francesca Booth has put together a video that captures the atmosphere of the show, cleverly edited with collages of images and footage of the band playing from different angles. The end result is a video that showcases the band’s talents, and places the viewer in the audience to be immersed in the show.
Blackman is a fine guitar-player and songwriter and his skills are evident on ‘Still Waiting (For You to Change Your Mind)’, which is well-crafted and structured, including an effective middle section with a change of pace and volume helping to build tension. His clear, tuneful vocal is effortless and sounds particularly good in combination with Euan Blackman (guitar), James Maguire (bass) and Adam Barry (keys); their harmonies float beautifully above Blackman’s rhythmic strum. Chris Quirk’s powerful drumming propels ‘Still Waiting (For You to Change Your Mind’ forward – it’s a real upbeat foot-tapping song that makes you want to move.
Throughout the pandemic, Blackman and his band have kept busy with single releases, covering a range of folk and rootsy rock styles. He’s been lauded by the likes of ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris, Sadler Vaden and Martin Simpson for his songcraft and guitar skills. Blackman established himself on the UK music scene while still a teenager and he remains one to watch. Check it out.
