I always thought Danny Gokey from American Idol Season 8 should have sung something from Jamie Lidell's catalog. Blue-eyed soul would have sounded good on him (they even have the glasses thing in common), but instead he went the icky Christian route. Too bad for him. (I actually started listening to Jamie a lot more when I realized Danny sounded like him. What can I say? Season 8 was my obsession season to the max. )
Anyway, back to Jamie himself. He sounds nothing like he looks. He may be a white dude and a touch of a nerd, but he's also talented musician with a lot of soul, and a sexy raspy voice. I dare you to listen to "Jim" and not feel like singing out loud.
I'm most familiar with his second album. Not at all with his first, and not really with his newest. I haven't listened to the new album yet, except for one song or so, but I think Jamie went in a little bit of a different direction with that one. He's also recently worked with Beck (Beck's Record Club) along with Wilco and Feist covering "Oar" by Skip Spence. I have heard that, and I liked what I heard. I also follow him on Facebook, and he's got quite an interesting personality as well.
I think there's a lot more to Jamie than what I've heard, and I wanted to share that with you, which is why I've chosen him as this week's artist.
Recommended Listening
- Multiply (2005)
- Jim (2008)
- Compass (2010)
Enjoy!
P.S. I meant to attach this video earlier in the week. Please watch it if you have time. It will change the way you think about the song.
Jamie Lidell definitely has soul. He sounds at times (most specifically on the album 'Jim') like he's completely oblivious to the fact that we're in the 21st century, and it's no longer 1971. Normally this kind of thing might get annoying after a couple of tracks, but Jamie does his thing with such conviction that it's hard not to get into his sound and drift back in time with him.
ReplyDelete'Multiply' is Jamie's more modern album, and it kicks off with his best Michael Jackson impersonation on the opener "You Got Me Up". This short track is quickly followed by the laid back title track, which has a bassline and a light little guitar riff that just screams summer time at me. The vocal performance is just awesome and reminds me of the late great Otis Redding. The Michael Jackson sound returns for "When I Come Back Around", only this time it's accompanied by some heavy electronic flourishes, and some interesting things are done with the mixing of the vocals in the middle of the song, giving it a bit of an adventurous feel. "A Little Bit More" has an extremely heavy bass beat to it, and the interplay between the repeated title and Jamie's vocals are pretty cool....this one's almost entering into Justin Timberlake territory (which is a good thing). "What's the Use" is a modern r&b classic, and is one of my favorite Jamie Lidell tracks. As a side note, it makes complete sense to me that this album was released by Warp Records, which is known for releasing some of the greatest electronic music in the world. This is the perfect synthesizing of the electronic and soul/r&b worlds. "New Me" is extremely fast paced, and the mix between the percussion and the horns is fantastic...it's almost got a bit of an afrobeat feel to it. "What Is It This Time?" brings things back to the retro sound, and is another of the stronger tracks on the record. In all, this is a pretty brilliant album, and is the perfect solution to the question of what you'd get if you mixed Stax and Motown Records with Warp Records.
'Multiply' Album Rating: 85%
I hadn’t heard of Jamie Lidell before this week, but the Danny Gokey reference made me nervous. The title track of ‘Multiply’ sounded like a white boy version of Parliament. I have a very hard time picturing the guy in that picture performing this song. When I Come Back Around sounds like an N’Sync song with the super techno pop vibe going on. It’s a bit too much for me. ‘A Little Bit More’, ‘What’s the Use’, and ‘Music Will Not Last’ all song like they were recorded in Motown to me. They all have a very old soulful sound to them. ‘Newme’ was unbearable for me to listen to. The rhythm was all over the place and reparations just isn’t a song topic I can believe and connect with coming out of him. I think the bottom line is I could go elsewhere to hear the styles he portrays in this album. There is some talent there, but in the words of Simon Cowell, I don’t know who he is as an artist.
ReplyDeleteImmediately on Jim, I can see the focus is more on his voice than the keyboard. His style on this album really reminds me of Jamie Cullum week. I can picture him being a very entertaining performer and doing well with the standards. The piano is the standout on Wait for Me. I can also finally hear the Danny Gokey reference in the first few tracks. ‘Out of My System’ sounds like a modern day Stevie Wonder or Jimmy Ruffin song. ‘Little Bit of Feel Good’ and ‘Hurricane’ were probably my favorite tracks of the week. The underlying guitar and flute beats are extremely catchy in ‘Little Bit of Feel Good’ and both made me feel like I was a 12-year old black boy in a church choir. Overall this album was much more consistent and was a better demonstration of his talents. Unfortunately all I hear are other artists when I listen to him. I think I will need a few more listens to get over the copy cat feel.
Compass is an extremely funky album. It is probably a perfect blend of the other two we listened to in that he brought back the techno pop, but did not let it over power the vocals. I feel this is giving him his own unique niche finally. It took a few listens, but by the third time around ‘Completely Exposed’ finally grew on me and I can finally picture myself dancing to this at a North Middle School dance. He puts a lot of soul into the lyrics and I still can’t believe this is coming out of a white guy. I hear some old school Jagged Edge, Genuwine, and T.I. throughout these tracks. There is a patch of corny tracks from ‘She Needs Me’ to ‘Enough is Enough’, but then comes back with the best song on the album in ‘The Ring.’ This was the one of the few tracks that focus on the lyrics. ‘I Can Love Again’ starts off with a cool sci-fi intro, and ends with a Parliament-esque breakdown. ‘Compass’ is a song that just doesn’t belong on this album. I never saw an acoustic chorus coming throughout all three of these albums.
ReplyDeleteI think there was a lot of growth in each of these albums. I think he has a good idea of what he is good at and how to emphasize those strengths. Overall, Jamie is a talented musician, but I think I will stick with Justin Timberlake and Blake Lewis as my white hip hop artists.
'Jim' "opens up to you" with Jamie Lidell's most well known song, "Another Day", which was used in an E-Harmony commercial. This song has the 60's written all over it with it's flute interjection and the tweeting birds that you can hear throughout the song. "Wait For Me" is Jamie's attempt at writing a great Marvin Gaye type of song, and he was hugely successful with it. His vocals on this song are the big standout, and really shows you that if he were around when Motown was at it's peak, Jamie Lidell would have been a superstar. This album has a lot more personality than it's predecessor, due largely to it's lack of electronic additions. Despite this, though, the production of the album is crystal clear, as every single drum hit, horn blast, and piano riff hammers you with an extremely sharp sound. "All I Wanna Do" is a beautiful ballad in the Otis Redding tradition, and Jamie creates a wonderful imagery throughout the entire song. "Little Bit of Feel Good" has one of the craziest videos I've ever seen (which Laura has put up for everyone to watch), but the song is pretty solid in it's own right. "Figured Me Out" has a disco vibe to it, and the subtle "ooh ooh" part feels directly lifted from Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". Regardless, this is one of my two favorite tracks on this album, and every little piece seems to go together perfectly to make a wonderful whole. My other favorite track on the album follows 2 songs later, which is the beautifully performed "Green Light". Everything about this song is fantastic, from the way the word "light" is sung in the chorus to the horns that propel the song through. The title of "Rope of Sad" is very indicative of the feeling of the song, as Jamie closes out this set with his most morose song. It has a bit of a 70s easy listening tint to it, but it works really well. This album is a much more personal affair than 'Multiply', therefore titling it 'Jim' was very fitting. This was definitely another great album from a great artist.
ReplyDelete'Jim' Album Rating: 85%
'Compass' immediately lets you know that the lack of electronics from 'Jim' are definitely a thing of the past...this one is full of them. "Completely Exposed" is really all over the place, and while there are some good sounds in there, it's too much of a mash-up of different types of sounds to really work well. "Your Sweet Boom" has some Beck sounds to it, but this is really not what I want to hear Jamie Lidell doing. The vocals of the past finally return on "Enough is Enough", but this song would easily be the worst track on either of the other two albums that we've reviewed today. "The Ring" has some really cheesy production, and it really ruins the song for me. The electronics on "I Can Love Again" are finally interesting, and this is enough to make this one of the better tracks on this album. "It's a Kiss" is a pretty good song, and is a little haunting in it's own way. "Compass" is a bit of a strange song, but I think I could see this one growing on me a little bit....the whole thing is all over the place, once again, but it's at least intriguing. "Gypsy Blood" is probably my favorite song on the album, and has a little bit of a dark feel to it that I really enjoy. The second half of this album is MUCH better than the first, and after thinking about it and hearing it a few times, I'm really trying to view this as a transitional record for Jamie Lidell. This could be the doorway to a really great album, which might give new meaning to this album someday, making it more meaningful than it sounds to this point. For now, though, it's simply "ok".
ReplyDelete'Compass' Album Rating: 64%
Much like Ray Lamontagne, we have a white guy with some deep down soul. I can’t remember if I introduced Jamie to Beth through the Jim album or vice-versa? Either way, it’s not a secret that I love soul and r&b music ,and the resurgence of that Motown sound is being carried by some talented artists. Jamie’s background and history make him an interesting candidate to take on this genre, and excel at it. I am with Laura, in that I am not familiar with Multiply or Compass but Jim is an album that put Jamie on my radar. I know I will love this week.
ReplyDelete“You Got Me Up” has a contemporary r&b beginning then leads into what seems like a church song-along then ends in a Parliament type funk breakdown; all of this in under 2 minutes, Jamie knows how to make an introduction. “When I Come Back Around” plays around with Kool and the Gang funk and Donna Summer disco, with tinges of Jamiroquai vocal stabs. This is an adventurous song that really blossoms as it progresses and is a great time. I honestly had no idea “A Little Bit More” was Jamie’s song, I remember it from some commercial and thought it was annoying; after a full listen it is still annoying and a rare miss for Jamie. “What’s the Use” sounds like an unfinished track from Dr. Dre’s Chronic 2001, the slinking bass line accompanied by the keyboard is very groovy and Jamie’s voice really shines. Herbie Hancock and his Headhunters are recalled on “Newme” with the introduction of synthesizers and jazz signatures. I am really enjoying Multiply because I feel Jamie is not holding back, he is exploring sound and blurring genres while making great music. “The City” is a filthy, dirty rock track that has Jamie summoning his inner Trent Reznor. The album is gently brought to a close with the very understated “Game for Fools”. Multiply gives the listener so much to digest and appreciate on future listens, which is the sign of a truly classic album.
After experimenting with many sounds on Multiply, Jamie really concentrates his efforts on putting together a blissfully soulful collection of tracks on Jim. The hand-clapping and backing vocals on “Another Day” gives the song the feeling of being recorded in a church, very informal and inviting. I’m surprised David didn’t mention the similarities of Jamie and Daryl Hall on “Wait for Me” and “Figured Me Out”, his falsetto and cadence are eerily similar, but as we all know with Hall & Oates, it’s a formula that works. Sam Cooke would be proud of Jamie on “All I Wanna Do”, he commands the track with his smooth delivery and draws you in with his 21st century torch song. He picks up the pace with “Little Bit of Feel Good” where the horns sound like birds singing. “Hurricane” doesn’t fit with the sound of the rest of the album, yet another rare miss for Jamie. “Green Light” is the track that got me into Jamie, who draws his influence from the good Reverend Al Green; a playful tune that the ladies and guys can groove to. “Rope of Sand” would fit right in with the Seals & Crofts of the 70’s as its tenderness is palpable. I felt Jamie was honoring his influences on this album and he holds his own with them.
ReplyDeleteI plan on doing my write up tomorrow and Tuesday, and I apologize once again for being late. It has been a crazy few weeks for me. I already had my group wrote up so I will go ahead and post about them today. Once again, my apologies.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK Beth, I'm late myself - so much to do this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI was excited coming into this week because I was going to dig deeper with an artist I've really grown to love over the past couple of years. That being said, "Multiply" was disappointing on the first run through. It didn't sound like "Jim" at all to me, and "Jim" is why I chose this week in the first place, expecting more of the same.
I talked with David a little bit and learned to appreciate that this was the predecessor to "Jim" and that Jamie was experimenting with different sounds. I couldn't compare it with an album I had liked previously - I had to look at it for what it was on its own.
"Multiply," the track, lifted my spirits because it was shades of "Jim" for me. "When I Come Around" may have been a little too electronic for me, but I still loved the soul in Jamie's voice. I was surprised to realize I had heard "A Little Bit More" before, but not that I didn't like it very much. It sounds kind of hip-hoppy. "New Me" and "The City" were too much, a little bit all over the place for me. Luckily, Jamie brought it back with "What Is It This Time," "What's the Use" and "Game for Fools." For me, this album was half the good stuff and half an electronic mess that actually took away from Jamie's soul rather than to add something interesting to it. But that's just my opinion.
"Multiply" cemented my love for "Jim," which like everyone else said concentrates more on the blue-eyed soul I'd come to love in Jamie's voice, without overpowering it with instrumentals that don't exactly fit. Here, the instrumentals are like great backup singers that highlight his groovy voice and really let it shine.
ReplyDeleteIt should be mentioned here that my Danny Gokey reference was not to mean Jamie sounds like Danny or sings anything like we all know Danny is prone to sing. But voice wise, they sound similar (in that Danny sounds similar to the much more talented Jamie). I always thought that instead of singing that Christian crap and boring ballads that Danny could have make it big embracing the soul and rasp vibe he had going for him that he so often ignored. Jamie embraces it.
"Another Day" is well known for the eHarmony commercial David mentioned. At the time that commercial aired. I was sure this was a Motown something or other from back in the day, and was quite surprised to find that Jamie is anything but. (Although he does hold great company in that respect.) "Wait for Me" is Jamie's crowning achievement for me. It's got a nice little funky line, highlighting a soulful voice belting lyrics that make my heart melt every time. I especially love the line - "there'll come a time, way down the line, when I've paid my dues and I can hang up my shoes, but until that day, you'll have to take my word that I'll be true." Like even though he's pimping his music out and will be loved by millions, at the end of the day, it'll always be you. Can it get sweeter than that? "Out of My System" is fun. I can see him doing that dance that Elvis stole from Forrest Gump during the chorus. Haha. "All I Wanna Do" was too slow to be a standout to me before, but it's amazing how simply sweet can make an awesome. "Little Bit of Feel Good" was what drew me into Jamie in the first place. It's incredibly funky and catchy, and it sounds sweet until you've seen the video and you realize how awkwardly creepy it really is. For me, watching Jamie actually sing these words helped bridge the disconnect that this is actually a nerdy white guy singing even though it doesn't sound like it. "Figured Me Out" was not one of my favorites on the album, and actually sounds similar to the electronic stuff on "Multiply," but I do love the chorus. "Hurricane" is actually kind of fun - different, in that it's upbeat and fun and not sweet and soulful. "Where'd You Go" is great. Such a simple piano line and the clapping all help magnify the emotion in the song. "Rope of Sand" was a little too slow for my liking, but overall I will always love this album.
For whatever reason, I listened to "Compass" on Grooveshark in alphabetical order, so here goes. "Big Drift" sounded Middle Eastern to me coming in and was slow to pick up. Once it did, the sounds in the background were distracting if not a bit painful to listen to. "Coma Chameleon" sounds like it was recorded in a large room with bad acoustics. The sound was kind of interested, but so far, "Compass" is not impressing me. The title track seems to focus more on his voice and sounded more folk to me than soul. I miss the soul but I did like this track. "Completely Exposed" sounds like it might have fit well on "Multiply." "Enough is Enough" was interesting for me but I really got into the chorus. Moving on, the album reminds me of a mix of the other two, with maybe some weird parts added in (reminiscent of Flaming Lips week for me, but not as good). Once again, it seems like he's doing way more than is necessary for me. I understand he's taking creative license and exploring new musical worlds, but I think when you have a voice like that you should stick with your strength, which he hasn't here. For some reason, I liked the understatement of "You See My Light," but in a different sort of way.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I still think "Jim" was Jamie's crowning achievement and I don't really like the direction he's gone in with "Compass," but as his newest work was also my least listened to this week, I might have to give it a little time, a chance to grow on me if you would.
Underneath the confusion of sound that is “Completely Exposed” is a good song, but unlike most tracks on Multiply, this song doesn’t have an understandable sonic identity. The underlying keyboards and synthesized drums make a great template, but is drowned out by uneven fuzzed-out guitars and electronic noises. “Your Sweet” is just as confusing, this track has no repeat listening value and really digs a deeper hole into this mucky unorganized sound that Jamie is forging ahead with. “She Needs Me” is greatly appreciated after the early mess, there is a smoky D’Angelo vibe with the layered vocals and the bass line. The sequencing and song selection are baffling to me, with lighter fare like “Enough is Enough” followed by the forgettable, sleazy “The Ring”, there’s no rhyme or reason for what I’m listening to. “I Can Love Again” is too short as Jamie teases us with that falsetto that endeared him to me on “Green Light”. He is definitely reverting back to his early days as an electronic artist; it’s not until “It’s a Kiss” that Jamie finally gets the perfect mix of those electronic sensibilities with his neo-soul croon. I agree with David that the second half of Compass is way more enjoyable than the first part. The self-titled track is an almost great song that mixes afro-beat percussion with twangy blues guitar, but doesn’t quite line-up well at the end. Jamie needs to understand that his voice is the star, and it needs to shine; sometimes less is more.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I am sorry for this late posting. Justin was the one who introduced me to Jamie Lidell, and at first I was highly interested in what I was hearing but came to find that overall it didn’t have enough oomph to keep my attention. Needless to say it has been a few years since I have listened to Mr. Lidell so let’s see if my overall opinion changes.
ReplyDelete“Multiply” the title track is very familiar, and I remember upon first listening to this song I was very surprised at how much I liked the song. It has a sort of Jamie Cullum, bluesy vibe to it which I can really get into. “When I come back around” reminds me of why I lost interest in Jamie in the first place. This song has more of a pop-electronic vibe that is definitely not the direction I was hoping he would take. “A little bit more” I remember hearing from some commercial a few years ago, and while I like the uniqueness of the song, I think the repetitive talking in the background can become a bit warring. “What’s the use” is a little bit more my style, it is very reminiscent of John Legend which I really enjoy as an artist. I think that Jamie needs to either stick with the R&B styling, or that of the Jazzy/Bluesy styling. “What is it this time,” and “Game for fools” are the other tracks that I enjoyed on the album. Overall this album was kind of hard for me to get into. I think Jamie has to pick one type of styling and stick with it, so the listener has a better idea of what they are getting into.
“Jim” starts off with my favorite Jamie song to date “Another Day.” To me this song is the exact direction that he needs to take. It is very Stevie Wonder-ish, and I love the positive upbeat tone that the song gives off. “All I Wanna Do” is another song that I can really get into. I think the choir voices in the background add a really nice touch, and lend to the song a very emotional feeling. “A little bit of feel good” was very upbeat and had a very catchy vibe to it, the video for it was a little too weird for me, but really shows off the wacky side of Jamie. “Hurricane” is the first song on the album that I came to that I did not enjoy. It was a little all over the place, like most of the tracks on the previous albums. I would normally like a song like this, but I know that Jamie can do much better things with his voice and talents then a song like this. “Green Light” is a showcase song for Jamie, and shows off his soulful side that I have come to enjoy so much from him. “Rope of Sand” is a simplistic, beautiful , song, that shows the softer side of Jamie. It can definitely set an intimate mood, so I really dig it. This album was a step in the right direction, and Thomas was right when he said I would probably like this album. I just hope Jamie sticks with what he is good at on the next album.
“Compass” starts off in a totally different direction. I am not even sure how to classify what I am hearing. While I still hear Jamie’s soulful voice, it sounds like a bunch of random noises in the background on the intro track. It isn’t until “She Needs Me” that I am even remotely interested in what I am hearing. This is somewhat a take on an 80’s R&B song in my opinion. It has a good flow, and I like the bow chicka wow wow beat going on in the background. “Enough is Enough” is an ok song, it definitely has good production value, but overall is once again leaving me thinking, what the heck is going on here. “You are Waking” is another song that I kept wishing would end quickly, I am not sure what is going on, but I am really hoping I start hearing some “Jim” references soon. “Compass” is the first song in a long while that I can actually say I enjoyed. I think it has a very beautiful orchestration to it, and while it is more of a new age sound for Jamie, I think he did the song very tastefully. “Big Drift” sounds like something futuristic, and if I didn’t hear Jamie’s voice I would have thought I put on some different album. While I think this album had a few good spots, overall it was very hard for me to get into. I think Jamie needs to stick to his soulful sounds and leave the sampling for his own private use.
ReplyDelete