A positive review of Jack Howard’s “Lost Horizon” album published in The Age.

Author: Jeff Glorfeld, The Age.

Date: January 2010.

Article Text

It’s been quite a journey for Jack Howard. From session player and arranger – and blowing his trumpet and singing backing vocals for Hunters and Collectors’ frontman Mark Seymour – he now seems at home centre stage fronting his own band. With each passing record he gets better and this is his best effort yet. The craft of songwriting is evident here in the relaxed, melodic structure of each number. The piano of Jo Schornikow makes the ley line that anchors each track, with guitar and horn flourishes using it as a launch platform. Rhythmic, steady double bass from Kieran Jones and Jeremy Hopkins’ drums deliver subtle propulsion. Howard’s trumpet provides colour and a jazzy edge to most numbers but it’s as a singer that he excels. There’s a cool swing to most tracks, such as opener Crescent Moon, the rocking Nightbird and the lovely ballad, If I Were A Bird. As a lyricist, however, Howard is unconventional, often eschewing rhyming and repetition in favour of an almost stream-of-consciousness approach. It’s a slight quirk that adds interest.

3 ½ stars

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