Jamie Lidell – “Compass”

By Danielle Cumbo on May 24, 2010

I first became a fan of Jamie Lidell when I saw him perform on Live with Jools Holland and then I was hooked. Clearly, here was a young Englishman living in Berlin but with an appreciation for American soul music. Jamie Lidell’s voice is tinged with old school Motown which was beautifully showcased on his previous cds JIM (2008) and Multiply (2005). JIM went on to win the Best Pop/Rock Album at the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2009 and his song “Multiply” was featured on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. He has also collaborated with Feist, Gonzales, Mocky, and with British electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco on their song “Off the Map.”

His new release Compass, produced with the help of Beck, he is keeping the funk and soul right up front and wrapping it in electronic beats. “I Wanna Be Your Telephone” feels like a song The Time would have sung back in the day, and you can imagine Jamie doing a duet with Morris Day. “She Needs Me” is Jamie’s ode to love and wanting to be in a relationship and “The Ring” is love that got away. All of the songs on Compass are about love in all of its manifestations, and my favorite song on the CD is “Compass” which is heavy on the acoustic guitar and strings. At times I felt that “Compass” was too noisy and would have liked to hear more of Jamie’s gorgeous voice. I do love that he keeps pushing his creativity with each cd never settling for the tried and true, and that is why “Compass” deserves repeated plays. Check out “I Wanna Be Your Telephone” and “She Needs Me” below and visit jamielidell.com to learn more about his amazing artist. Compass is available for purchase on iTunes. Ciao.