ALBUM REVIEW: MAKING TIME - JAMIE WOON

A recent discovery, Jamie Woon seems to be hitting all my wants for study music so far.

His 2015 album Making Time is his best record, each track has its own steady pace, sophisticated beat and satisfying bursts of jazzy brass and guitar with his smooth vocal lines pulling everything together. This formula works very well in tracks like Message and Celebration. Other tracks radiate a more funky/R&B vibe (where he says his roots are), like 'Sharpness' which reminds me of a more mellow Jungle. The track Movement really identifies Woon as a new artist, testing the limits of blending electronic sounds and bass with the voice. This track and the bare vocal opening to Skin also remind me of James Blake, experimental though perhaps a bit more laid-back. Woon's voice is rather underrated in this album, personally I welcome the rare appearance of his simple, but effective, vocal tone - I'd be interested to see him explore this in future work.

One of the main attractions of this album for me is that each track has its own idea and own sound, something taken for granted but barely actually delivered in many albums I listen to today. More and more artists only care about the success of a few songs from an album for it to sell, but you can tell that Woon has put effort into giving each track its own musical value to make an overall more impressive album. I wouldn't say that the music is particularly striking or thought-provoking, Woon isn't necessarily a game-changer for new artists; however listening to him while studying  is a pleasure, he creates a good-sounding pace to work to with no surprises to come along and slap you out of focus, I appreciate the bursts of jazz/funk/electronic/R&B vibes he adds to keep each song fresh.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1piHywE1K1xbS3fTTVrdBC

12.01.16

ARTIST REVIEW: JACK GARRATT

It looks like Jack Garratt is going to have an exciting year following the release of his single 'Worry'. With endorsement from the likes of Zane Lowe, this humble guy from a little village in Buckinghamshire is headed for things he'd never expected.

The idea of a one-man band is often thought of as more of a circus act than something that would book out Wembley. However, since the success of Ed Sheeran (with his loop station) one-man bands are really making it. Jack Garratt is a perfect example of this. Usually seen on stage drumstick in hand, fingers on the keyboard, guitar round neck and singing, he manages to create as much sound as a rock band - which is pretty impressive. Audiences no longer expect a stage full of dancing band members, nowadays an empty stage with a guy, a guitar, and a heck load of wires is far more effective.

Jack Garratt's rock/electronic sound has developed to be soulful through his years of experience and passion. He started writing at 12, his first song got him into the finals of the Great Britain Junior Eurovision Contest. He uploaded his music to BBC Introducing at 17 with his song 'Worry' and explained his musicality (he plays several instruments from guitar, bass, drums and piano to the trombone, African percussion and the mandolin) and commitment to writing and playing. This landed him their support from the start and a spot to perform at the Reading and Leeds Festival last year.

Jack's music is predominantly made of rock/electronic sounds, it is hard to classify him into a genre, he likes to dip his toes from alt-rock to late night R&B to moody-electronic and so on... Jack could typically be compared to Jeff Buckley in some tracks, and the likes of James Blake and Oh Wonder in others. However he does set himself apart with the intense contrasts between his soulful voice as it wavers in falsetto against pacey drum beats and clashing electronic sounds from guitar and keyboard. Each track has a different style but surges to the same intensity. The music he produces reflects how he challenges himself and the boundaries of music. I know you'd think that his experimental tendencies could result in some 'iffy' moments, though somehow he manages to balance out just the right amount of interesting ideas to keep me listening to and liking every song.

I think that Jack Garratt is definitely worth a listen, he seems to be so invested in his music and it really is beautiful to hear him progress from track to track. I'd love to hear more about his influences. I'm also very interested to see when it all blows up into something amazing for him.

SPOTIFY - https://play.spotify.com/artist/1Zp054Jc86WVKCxKEqZGOA