Each week I am going to write a short (under 200 word) review for an album from my collection chosen at random by iTunes. You can expect anything from Slayer to Salmonella Dub to (Ravi) Shankar and that is all part of the fun. Enjoy.
Week 6: Jamie Lidell – Compass (2010)
Country: UK / Funk, Neo-Soul, Alternative
Jamie Lidell had already made a name for himself as an auteur of 21st century R&B with his albums before Compass came out, but this is the album that shows the true breadth of his potential. And what great range he shows. His customary soul heart-throb shtick is replaced with an earnest restlessness that forces him down some unusual avenues. The hyper-percussive funk of ‘The Ring’ is caked in a bluesy holler, ‘I Wanna Be Your Telephone’ verges on Jamiroquai territory, and ‘Enough Is Enough’ has a Motown sound that is cut into ribbons and rearranged. The real show stopper is the heartbreaking title track (as featured to devastating effect in the Rockstar video game Red Dead Redemption). Even though Compass the album is by-and-large a party record, ‘Compass’ the song is one of the most bittersweet songs in recent memory with Lidell sounding like Moby does a Jeff Buckley impression. Backing Lidell on the album are indie heavyweights Beck and Feist, as well as members of Grizzly Bear and Wilco. Compass is an eclectic album for funk and avant-garde music fans of all descriptions.
Rating: A-
For fans of: Gnarls Barkley, Moby, Beck
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