Jamie T returns after a lengthy absence; and his audacious willingness to experiment is something to be admired
Having been off the map for the best part of five years, Jamie T's uniquely urban mystique has only floundered in his as yet unexplained absence - something itself pretty remarkable in this 'insta-Orwellian' age of Twitter and social media. But he's sealed his drip-fed and suitably mysterious comeback with the melancholic creep of 'Don't You Find' - and it marks something of a change of direction for the previously anointed Burberry Shakespeare. Where his previously aggressive, low-fi sound was grounded in garage-rock and gritty Brit-hop aesthetic, 'Don't You Find' is a distinctly somber, brooding affair; built on a murky, slinking synth motif and simple, powerful lyrics; 'Don't you find/some of the time/there is always someone on your mind/who shouldn't be at all', it's unlikely to romantically soundtrack house parties and indie club-nights à la so much of his previous material. But that is not to its detriment; quite the opposite in fact. It's by no means immediate, but while it will undoubtedly prove divisive among his passionate cult fan-base (and all out offensive to the 'Sticks 'n' Stones' coat-tailers), Treays' willingness to experiment and the effortlessness with which he pulls off a radically different style highlight him as a musician of genuine talent. In a mainstream climate where such a thing is so seemingly scarce, this excellent single and his long-awaited return is surely something to be celebrated.
Listen: Jamie T,' Don't You Find'
No comments:
Post a Comment