Carry On The Grudge

I admit that I'm one of those annoying people who have jumped on the band wagon because Jamie T has returned to the music scene. If She's Got The Money and Shelia have always had a place on my iPod for as far back as I can remember, but by only being 10 at the time of Panic Prevention's release, it does annoyingly place me as a late comer to the Jamie T hype. - However, I now feel that I appreciate his earlier music so much more than I ever could as a ten year old.

Carry On The Grudge, Jamie T's comeback album, was released today. After listening to the first track Limits Lie, I know for a fact I want a physical copy of this album and I will be buying it later this week. NME said that it's an album full of "obsession, desolation and psychological damage" (27th sept 14), and they're not wrong! The album sounds like a diary, a personal insight into the mysterious 5 years that Jamie T has been absent. Heartbreak sounds like a key theme, but then so does death and so does self-destruction. It's definitely an album which discusses many themes that only Jamie T can describe best. 

Each song contributes something different to the album, making Carry On The Grudge a hugely diverse album. Tracks such as The Prophet, Trouble and Peter stand out the most - and each for very different reasons. Overall, the album is a masterpiece. A recollection of thoughts, feelings and emotions. Marvellous.

If this isn't considered one of the best albums of the year so far then I have definitely lost faith in humanity and it's ability to appreciate innovative art.

Sept, 2014

A Perfect Contradiction

After buying A Perfect Contradiction for my Paloma-mad Dad in April, it was only last night that I finally listened to it all the way through.

Paloma's first album Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? was a hit for a debut album. However, Fall To Grace was, to me, a little disappointing. Putting off listening to A Perfect Contradiction was my way of preventing being disappointed again and my good opinion of Paloma changing for the worse.

Yet as I lay in bed attempting to fall asleep to Paloma's sweet and tonal voice, I was shocked to find that A Perfect Contradiction is actually filled with funky, upbeat songs. Along with singles Can't Rely On You, Only Love Can Hurt Like This and Trouble With My Baby, tracks such as Other Woman and Take Me brilliantly make up a phenomenal album.

The only slight downfall is that Impossible Heart sounds quite 80s-esque. Mouth To Mouth reminds me of Shalamar's A Night To Remember, which I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing. Of course it was a hit but at the same time Paloma is better than creating 80s doubles.

Unlike Fall To Grace, both the first and third album is more upbeat which I believe Paloma is better at. Fall To Grace displays the ranges and the ability of Paloma's vocals, yet I still felt it was missing something.

Is A Perfect Contradiction the best album from Paloma so far? I'm still debating whether it's slightly better than Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? - my main reason being that Paloma's debut was so original yet different, that I refused to stop playing it for weeks. But yes, A Perfect Contradiction is definitely better than Fall To Grace. Entirely better.

March, 2014

Say You Love Me

Jessie Ware has always had the voice of an angel. Blessed with the looks of a goddess. Beautifully simplistic.

Say You Love Me is an extraordinary written collab with Ed Sheeran, which is desirable in every possible way. Brixton-born singer Jessie caught up with Ed in New York where they supposedly wrote SYLM within 30 minutes of sitting down. 

With debut album Devotion (UK Number 5) already under her belt, the question that lingers is - How superior will the new album be? Devotion as a debut album was fresh yet astute. Tough Love, however, I feel may not hit the same standard due to the exceptional sound of Devotion.

Yet, there's something about Jessie that captures your entire mind. Easy to fall asleep to, yes. But in a hypnotic way. Angelic vocals are a key to Jessie's success. Exciting yet calming.

Tough Love, which is released in October, will either be mediocre or somewhat amazing. Say You Love Me was more stripped back and simplistic in comparison to songs such as Running and If You're Never Gonna Move. This could very well be an advantage to the new album. However, I'm worried we'll be falling asleep for all the wrong reasons. Time will only tell.

single released 28th sept