CD: Jack Peñate

Jack Peñate “Matinée” (XL)***

THIS young London-based crooner has a serious need for speed: On his infectious debut, Jack Peñate sings and strums his crafty pop-soul gems with the manic energy of a streetwise punk. Imagine the Jam-era Paul Weller performing the tunes of the Style Council-era Paul Weller. Then add a double espresso or three.

In the U.K., Peñate is part of a new breed of regular-chap pop acts that includes Jamie T and Kate Nash. So “Matinée” (in stores Tuesday) comes loaded with references to riding the subway and favorite sneakers. (Though the song describes an act of skyward expectoration, it’s probably safe to assume that Peñate appreciates the dual meaning in the album opener “Spit at Stars.”)

“Matinée” works best at its most larger-than-life: “Have I Been a Fool” makes first-date anxiety sound like great fun, while “Torn on the Platform” paints a hypercolored portrait of the singer’s hometown. When Peñate slows the tempo and gets reflective, as in “My Yvonne,” the album’s energy flags, making the music harder to distinguish from stuff by a host of NME-approved Britpop B-listers. As Peñate would no doubt agree, though, that’s why fast-forward exists.

--Mikael Wood