Jack & The Optimists share new single "The Acquaintance"

Cleveland rock singer-songwriter Jack McLaughlin premiered a new single with his band Jack & The Optimists, "The Acquaintance," through Under the Radar on August 6, ahead of its wider release the next day. McLaughlin has spent the past several years reviving late 1960s strains of power pop, blues rock and mod pop, and the new track opens with overdriven guitars and bluesy riffs the premiere compared to Jack White, backing a strutting lead vocal performance that also calls back to early glam rockers like T. Rex.

From there, the band trades those crunchy, riff-laden opening moments for lilting psychedelic passages before building to a massive sing-along chorus backed by ascending pop vocal harmonies. Under the Radar placed the song alongside retro-pop acts like The Lemon Twigs in its influences, while noting Jack & The Optimists bring a rougher, more unpredictable edge, especially in a closing stretch of wild-eyed guitar soloing.

McLaughlin describes the song as a portrait of a fair-weather friend, someone who shows up only when it's convenient for them and disappears otherwise, he said of the track's lyrics.

The track follows "Mad About You," the first single from the band's upcoming album, and continues a run that began with McLaughlin's 2022 solo debut, Clementine, before he formed Jack & The Optimists for 2023's Shades of You.

"The Acquaintance" is out everywhere on August 7, adding to a growing run of singles ahead of the follow-up to Shades of You. The track joins a busy week for new rock singles tracked on the release calendar, as Jack & The Optimists build toward their next full length one song at a time.