“Tunnel Vision” by Ballin’ Jacks

Like so many artists through the past few years, Ballin’ Jacks have shouldered plenty of adversity on the way to finding themselves. They were born on the live circuit as a fundamentally in-person act both around the London gig scene and in prestigious slots at the Glastonbury and Latitude Festival, but the seismic events of the COVID pandemic forced them to stop doing what they loved, and caused several shuffles in their line-up.

Thankfully, they’ve emerged from these challenges stronger, and with a better sense of their musical identity than ever, of which their new single “Tunnel Vision” is an excellent example. There’s a nostalgic edge to the tune, a relaxed Beach Boys-style sensibility which mixes fluently with the contemporary self-awareness displayed in the lyrics – it’s a welcome updating of a classic style.

On the song, the band say, “Tunnel Vision is defined in the dictionary as “defective sight in which objects cannot be properly seen if not close to the centre of the field of view.” We all make choices everyday, it’s difficult not to get caught in the trap of taking a narrow minded view and arriving at unforeseen consequences. However, this song is about something else… Patricia Highsmith mainly.”