Jack Savoretti - Between The Minds (Deluxe Edition) (2008)

I’M NEVER too sure about the merits of Deluxe Editions of albums (or DVDs for that matter) – feeling torn somewhere between believing them to be cash-ins at the expense of hard-working fans or (depending on how deluxe the package really is) a worthwhile addition to a collection.

Jack Savoretti’s Deluxe Edition of Between The Minds actually improves on the original and is, in my opinion, the better option, especially given that he’s still very much an emerging artist.

The Anglo-Italian singer songwriter didn’t pick up a guitar until he was 16 but, after becoming interested in poetry and being given a guitar by his mother and encouraged to put some of his words to music, Savoretti found his niche.

Fame quickly beckoned, with debut single Without becoming the first release on De Angelis Records, the label set up by Natalie Imbruglia’s former manager Anne Barrett, and Corinne Bailey Rae asking him to support her on tour.

The ensuing album, Between The Minds, emerged as a lyrically strong and musically accomplished listen, which found Savoretti combining the passion and occasional melancholy intensity of Richard Ashcroft with the intelligence of artists such as Nick Drake and Damien Rice.

The Deluxe package includes a second CD of mostly unplugged tracks – five from the album and four all-new recordings, including a cracking live version of the Johnny Cash classic Ring Of Fire from one of his Paris shows.

It’s kick-started by the new track One Man Band, a beautifully composed offering that’s built around the type of harmonica that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Dylan track, and some fine country-tinged guitars (that would make Johnny Cash proud!).

Another new track, Russian Roulette, follows and slows down the tempo considerably, the acoustic riffs crystal clear and utterly beguiling, whilst being accompanied by a melancholy set of vocals from Savoretti which underline the emotive power of his voice.

You’ll have to wait for the other two new tracks, Lucy and ring Of Fire, which appear at the end of the second CD. But Lucy is another fantastically moody offering that serves as a nice companion piece to Killing Man, one of the highlights of Between The Minds and even more provocative in unplugged form.

Needless to say, that debut single Without also appears, and contains extra resonance in acoustic form, while the likes of Dr Frankenstein and Black Rain continue to impress as much as they did originally.

The overall result is a second CD of genuine quality that’s well worth owning – whether you’ve previously gone out and bought Between The Minds or not.