Jamie T- Panic Prevention

Over the past two years Jamie T has managed to become one of the most hard working solo artists in Britain. After helping Mystery Jets and Larrikin Love secure their careers the scene called Thamesbeat was created with Jamie as the frontrunner, yet unbelieveably this quickly died leaving the true talent to grow over time as Jamie managed to build a national fanbase through regular shows in London. But after playing many a show alone with an acoustic guitar the main surprise with this debut album is the development from solo artist into a fully fledged act as Jamie is backed with the freedom to created new sounds through previous songs.

For the early demos, in the most part they replicated a rough voice over questionable dance beats, granted it was the main source of Jamie T's fans yet where most successful demos can falter at the album stage Jamie excells through production, making many of his early demos undistinguishable.

The album begins with 'Brand New Bass Guitar' and possibly the highlight of the album which is accompanied with almost choir like backing vocals and is one of the most upbeat atmospheres on the album. 'Salvador' also takes a similar turn and along with 'Back in the Game' is one of the most vocal and original tracks on the album, as both do not stray from the earlier recordings.

'Operation' and 'Pacemaker' however show Jamie's growth over the year containing layers of sound not previously heard in earlier tracks. In these songs, Jamie takes a back seat as the band become more involved in the initial proccess rather than a later addition.

However where on most albums the singles are the only highlight, it appears to be the opposite with Jamie T. The latest top 10 hit 'Calm Down Dearest' is one of the weakest on the album, and 'Sheila' the darkest talking of domestic abuse rather than Jamie's views on love and life. Yet 'If You've Got the Money' is still exceptional among new versions of 'Ike and Tina' and 'Alicia Quays'.

For many dedicated Jamie T fans frustration may come with the lack of new tracks on the album, as songs such as 'So Lonely was the Ballad' and 'Dry Off Your Cheeks' have been circulating for years but the new production of the album leaves little room for complaining. As songs are reinvented, flipped and transformed it brings a new experience to the listener, showing a bright future for Jamie Treays.

Jamie T- Brand New Bass Guitar