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Do you remember when Jamie T first broke through?
For anyone under 25, here’s how it went down: the music press lauded him as the new Billy Bragg, he played festival after festival, released a couple of records, built a loyal following (who all seemed to all know someone who knew him), and sort-of disappeared. He then returned in 2014 with ‘Carry on the Grudge’, an excellent album of maturity and poise which contains the second best song to bear the title Zombie.
‘Trick’, his fourth full studio record, is one of various musical manifestations, from lairy rap-indie to punky Britpop and grungy introspection. It’s a difficult record to like.
It seems to be aping the singer’s musical contemporaries and heroes without really offering more than that. It's a record that arrives ready-dated, like one of those pre-faded pairs of jeans or a knock-off bottle of vintage wine.
TescoLand is an irritatingly knowing Clash homage, while the satirical Drone Strike might be the worst song released on a major label this year. Whether Jamie T has meant to or not, nearly every number on ‘Trick’ sounds like a version of something else.
Solomon Eagle appears to be a Kasabian track minus a memorable chorus, Power Over Men sounds like Hard-Fi, Robin Hood is a slightly tighter-played Libertines song and Joan of Arc - despite being pretty good - still leaves the unerring impression of an Arctic Monkeys b-side. An actual b-side, as opposed to a song Alex Turner has repurposed for the Last Shadow Puppets.
There is nothing wrong with the concept of a wholly derived album. 'Hysteria' by Def Leppard was intended as a heavy metal ‘Thriller’, while David Bowie’s 'Aladdin Sane' was "Ziggy goes to America". Additionally, cover albums can be hugely effective, from 'Ella Sings Gershwin’, to large segments of Johnny Cash’s ‘American IV’ and the Futureheads’ underappreciated a capella album, ‘Rant’.
But these are albums with an easily identifiable artistic vision, something that 'Trick' lacks. It's as though it was written after the close study of a word cloud of acts that Jamie T fans liked. 'Trick' doesn't cover its tracks.
Jamie T Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu September 08 2016 - KINGSTON Hippodrome
Tue September 27 2016 - DUBLIN Olympia
Wed September 28 2016 - BELFAST Limelight
Sat October 01 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sun October 02 2016 - CARDIFF University Great Hall
Mon October 03 2016 - PORTSMOUTH Guildhall
Wed October 05 2016 - LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
Thu October 06 2016 - SOUTHEND Cliffs pavillion
Sat October 08 2016 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Sun October 09 2016 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Mon October 10 2016 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Wed October 12 2016 - BOURNEMOUTH O2 Academy Bournemouth
Thu October 13 2016 - LIVERPOOL Olympia
Sat October 15 2016 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Sun October 16 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Mon October 17 2016 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Thu October 20 2016 - MANCHESTER O2 Apollo
Fri October 21 2016 - SHEFFIELD O2 Academy Sheffield
Sat October 22 2016 - CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Click here to compare & buy Jamie T Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
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