Louis Jack has returned with his first new track in two years - although he’s been busy with the Bristol creative collective X U U K I, the young rapper, songwriter and producer hasn’t actually offered up any solo material… until now. Well, Louis Jack makes up for lost time with ‘Meadow’, a dark, atmospheric, multi-textural, stream of consciousness spanning ten minutes and twenty-eight seconds. A recording of heavy rain underpins the whole track, while layers of electronics and vocals weave throughout, creating a moody atmosphere. All this serves to convey Louis Jack’s bassy tone and narrative of growing up, family, friends, dreams and disappointment; a true internal monologue of meaningful proportions. As we hit the mid-section of ‘Meadow’, space clears for minimalist, thudding beats, a lo-fi guitar, auto tuned singing that echoes Louis Jack’s singular verse of rhyme. The track continues to descend further into the darkness; the sounds becoming less recognisable; the lines more blurred. A ghostly aura takes over around the seven minute mark and it seems as though the track would end there, but as you already know, it doesn’t. For the last chapter of Louis Jack’s story, the rapper paints the most disturbing and emotive image so far, one of broken relationships, domestic abuse and hopelessness. Here a guest vocalist steps in to represent the victim, whose soulful voice begs to at least be left whole, after it’s all over. As ever, Louis Jack is unflinching from the harrowing realities of life, waking up the listener to experiences outside of themselves. - HT