Many fans thought that after finally releasing his 3rd album the London man had finished is music production and would move on to other projects. However, after less than a two year gap, Jamie T has returned with probably his most well rounded album yet, titled 'Trick'. With elements from all of his previous albums all thrown in along with a brand new pop take on his unique street style. Although, his previous release, 'Carry On The Grudge' contained 'Zombie' , Jamie's best selling and most critically acclaimed song in his career , the majority of his following are still in love with the messy, 'love it or hate it' style songs from earlier tracks such as 'If You Got The Money'. These fans should be jumping out their seats to buy this one as the 'angsty' teen has certainly not died away , but rather had a new revival of aggression and passion, pouring it all into one of the hottest albums of the year.
One of the main aspects of the new album is the range of influences and styles, Jamie has often stuck to a main theme throughout his previous releases, whereas 'Trick' , although containing a darker underlying atmosphere boasts a wider stretch of style and more experimentation. Ranging from the clear grime influences of 'Drone Strike' to the funkier base line and pop chorus' of 'Dragon Bones' the new album seems set to gain a whole host of new fans, especially with the resurgence of grime in the UK over the past few years. Probably most comparable to his earlier records are tracks such as 'Tescoland' and 'Joan Of Arc', messy indie-rock tangled up with his distinctive swagger-filled lyrical delivery born out of the streets of Southwest London. These upbeat , faster songs are the remnants of classic Jamie T , but as he has matured not as only as an artist but as a person he has put more focus onto his songwriting and into pushing his talent to create a slower, more atmospheric feel. A perfect example off the new album is 'Sing Of The Times'. With the lyrics "I wish i'd been little more exceptional.... but i was not enough , no i'm not enough" it was never going to be a cheerful four minutes of music. Following the moody vibe of the album , it carries more meaningful connotations that you might expect from the 30 year-old.
Another feature of 'Trick' , not just as a collection of songs but as a project is the creative direction. The ever-present Trick logo, album artwork and some pretty uncompromising music videos ('Power Over Men') compliment the sinister connotations running through the album. Overall its been a huge achievement from Jamie T to bounce back from his harshly (unfairly in my opinion) received previous album with 12 tracks of him at his very best! He's well an truly back with more of his exclusive aesthetically displeasing mash up of indie , rock and rap and its brilliant! certainly one of the best albums of the year.
Take a listen on Spotify or Head over to Jamie T's site to check out tour dates or Trick merch !
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