The follow-up to 2005's excellent, endlessly re-playable MULTIPLY, JIM finds Jamie Lidell delving even deeper into the classic soul and R&B feel that characterized much of that album. Although JIM bears the unmistakable sonic gleam of an album crafted by an artist weaned on electronica (Lidell began his career creating glitch-hop and remains on the Warp roster), the burbles and clicks are blended into an overall m.o. that kneels at the altar of Stax/Volt and Atlantic Records circa the 1960s and early `70s.
But while the ghosts of Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Wilson Pickett loom large here, JIM is far from mere retro rehash. For starters, the disco, funk, electronica, and contemporary club flourishes are folded so carefully into the mix that they might be easy to miss-but they're indeed there. But more important is Lidell's superb songwriting and production, to say nothing of his amazing singing. A beautifully crafted set that pushes old- and new-school buttons with equal skill, this is the sort of record that is flat-out hard to dislike.
Professional Reviews
Entertainment Weekly (p.65) - "[The album] retains the river-deep-mountain-high baritone of yore, and tracks like 'Another Day' and 'Green Light' are near-impeccable time capsules."
Uncut (p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "He's at his best here on the playful, Beck-like 'Hurricane' and the sweetly mournful 'Rope Of Sand'..."
Uncut (p.96) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "It's impeccably cut and styled stuff, especially on the slyly stoned 'Green Light'..."
Vibe (p.72) - "Lidell reaches back further than he has before, approximating Sam Cooke, Ben E. King, and even Jackie Wilson, elegantly nodding to his clarion-voiced heroes while never allowing the album to become mired in mere tribute."
Blender (Magazine) (p.76) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "MULTIPLY's buzzing digital flourishes give way to a simpler sonic milieu as Lidell's husky voice slips into streamlined R&B throwbacks with a newfound ease."
URB (Magazine) (p.107) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[H]is Prince-like trimmings have morphed into an obvious devotion to the prime days of Stax....[With] more of the B3 Hammond organ and feel good harmonies."
