Jamie who? Exactly. Even with the media made moniker of "one man Arctic Monkey", America is still largely ignoring Jamie T. I think I know why.
His brand of "all up in ya" Englishness makes some of us scratch our fat heads. We just can't relate to it. I mean, he makes no mention of shooting thugs or beatin' down ho's and he's certainly not a mopey mall rat secretly dreaming about how to off his whole family. Dude might as well be an alien, you know.
Me? I'm a fan of the English. I tucked into this record with a completely open mind. Still, Jamie leaves me frustrated. There's a few absolute gems in there but you'll have to dig through the shit to get to them. It's akin to being served this incredibly tasty appetizer only to have it followed by hobo chili and kool-aid.
Salvador: the mental imagery of Anglo-Saxons at the disco and young girls sneaking out to party puts a smile on my face. The twangy Mexican guitar doesn't hurt either. Calm Down Dearest: a hard pill to swallow at first. If you can get past the drunken rambling, you'll be rewarded with the most beautiful chorus you've ever heard. Can't seem to shake it from my head. The icing on the cake has to be Sheila which randomly tells the story of a drunk girl who accidentally drowns in the Thames, a shady drug dealer who can't catch a break, and girl who OD's to escape abuse. Subject matter aside, it's catchy as all hell.
Every other song that isn't Salvador, Calm Down Dearest, or Sheila.
Panic Prevention is inventive and wonderfully British but is ultimately dragged down by too many throw-away songs.
Jamie T is currently playing the summer festival circuit throughout Europe followed by a short tour of the US and Canada in the fall.
What next?More by Jamie T? More reviews? More indie, or grime?