Plastercast

Jack Hinks

Anger. An emotion that can both rule our lives while at the same time allow us the freedom to truly express how we feel in our darkest moments. It is also one of the steps laid out in the five stages of grief. It is one of the most potent and erratic emotions that we can pass through when dealing with the loss of a loved one.  After dealing with the emotion of acceptance in his last single Jigsaw, Scottish singer/songwriter Jack Hinks moves on to tackle the feeling of anger in his new single Plastercast.

In keeping with his ‘Stages of Grief’ project’s mantra, Jack has once again allowed the song to control the way the music is developed. While Jigsaw saw him blend elements of blues and jazz, Plastercast walks the line between folk and all out rock. As it comes in the song is lead by an understated acoustic guitar that is coated in a bubbling fiddle line performed by regular collaborator Fiona Liddell. As the coals kick into the song a haunting undercurrent is weaved into the track that perfectly lines it up for the hammer that the chorus brings down.

Turning the guitars up to eleven Jack applies a crunching rock guitar that mimics the power and outpouring that anger can have on a person. In an almost mirroring of its subject matter the song as a whole mimics the internal struggle to deal with anger and direct in a healthy way. With use of light and dark and subtle tone changes throughout the track is a true product of its own evolution. Add to this the imagery painted by Jacks lyrics and the track as a whole realises its potential. “….Grappling hooks still pierce my legs….I shed the ropes instead….” This is just one of the brilliant uses of metaphors that Jack uses to describe the struggle of containing anger and its paralysing effects that it can have at the same time.

Overall this track is another prime example of Jack Hinks’s songwriting. It proves that he is truly becoming a natural at allowing the music and his lyrics to direct him when producing his final product. After this instalment you can only look with eager anticipation as to what he will create next as he slowly moves musically through the stages of grief.

Hear Jack talk about this single and have a full listen by listening to our regular podcast, Barstool Airplay, out 26th Feb.

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