EP REVIEW: Reason To Exist – According To Jack

Giacomo Rampazzo‘s acoustic solo project ACCORDING TO JACK takes advantage of the world’s ever-changing attitude to genre. Raised on skate punk, and deciding to take a more grounded approach to music with a focus on acoustics and the heart and soul of punk music, the Northern Italian singer’s debut EP Reason To Exist covers a broad spectrum of music that will appeal to fans of just about any genre.

Across five songs, the EP takes you on a journey. The acoustic title track kicks it off, and even though it is an acoustic song, it is extremely upbeat, which contrasts with the melancholy lyrics, which discuss feeling lost in life – a relatable theme for anyone, regardless of their age. Indeed, and as mentioned, all the songs on this EP are acoustic, whether it is the upbeat The Best I’ve Never Had, the mid-tempo Carry The Burden or Three Cheers For The Good Times. But the pacing of the EP is never affected; it is tightly produced and shines a new light on acoustic songs, showing that that they don’t have to be slow and haunting and that they can be light-hearted and upbeat.

Rampazzo has a fantastic voice, and the stripped-back nature of the songs allows it to shine through to the fullest. A lot of the songs are short, but they still find time to breathe and each has its own individual sound, so none of the songs sound similar, despite the focus on acoustics.

Overall, Reason To Exist is a fantastically raw EP that showcases the best of an exciting up and comer. With a lot of attention to the sound and a focus on redefining what an acoustic song can sound like, the EP is a fun one, with lyrics that are honest and relatable to anyone. The pacing is fantastic, despite the majority of the songs being quite short. Sometimes less is more, and Reason To Exist is the definition of that.

Rating: 9/10

Reason To Exist is set for release on June 14th via self-release.

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