All Sorts Of Colour
Jamie xx: In Colour (9.1/10)
Jamie xx has spent the better part of his career as the often overlooked member of the critically acclaimed group The xx. The group is known for their somber and minimalistic music; I would describe their music as haunting yet gripping. Jamie has done a lot of the bands production and mixing work, and he does not appear as a singer, so it is understandable why he has been overlooked, but I think he is more crucial to the xx than people think. A lot of the time the production can really help create an atmosphere, and I think Jamie's production really enhances that dark, desolate feel that the xx really exemplify so well. Anyways, Jamie xx is Jamie's way of breaking off from the band. He has not left the band or anything, but this project really gives Jamie a chance to shine on his own as a musician. His music is a lot more dancy and electronic than the xx's and it is certainly a lot more colorful. Jamie has gotten a lot of steam from remixes he had made over the years, and just now it is really starting to come to fruition. His record has been very well hyped up, and he seems to be really making a name for himself, but is Jamie ready to shine on his own, or should he have just stayed put? I'll just say one thing: this man knows what he's doing.
This album is perfectly described by its title: In Colour. This album can take you to a lot of different places, and whether it's an exciting place or a very relaxed place, this album always seems pull it off well. Sleep Sound and Loud Places both take you into this kind of drowned out environment. They seem to do so little, and they kind of excite your brain because of that for some reason. It really allows the listener to focus in on the very gorgeous instrumentation, and it does not drown us out with layers upon layers. Gosh is a hard edged electro tune that is very different to say the least. The groove is kinda mundane for me, but then the synth line at the end absolutely saves the song. This song really showcases just how gorgeous the instrumentation on here can be. Also very beautiful, is the steel drum led Obvs. This song does add a lot of layers into the mix, but unlike a lot of other electronic songs, it doesn't do so obnoxiously. It is very subtle in everything it does, and that's why this tune is fantastic. Stranger In The Room sees Jamie reacquainting himself with bandmate Oliver Sim. It is a very eerie tune kind of similar to the xx's music, but instead the synth kind of gives Oliver a brand new canvas to sing over and it sounds very nice. Romy also sees a couple appearances on this album, and she sounds nice over this instrumentation as well. Maybe the xx should make an album that is completely led by Jamie xx. That would be interesting for sure. Seesaw has probably the coolest transition on the album. The song kind of just sneaks up on you, and I thought that was very cool. I thought this track was also extremely good a long with this transition. Lastly, I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) is an absolute banger. This tune is an old-timey hokey hymn song mixed with today's "trap rap" sound. Overall it blends a lot better than you'd think, and Young Thug holds his own surprisingly. The album then proceeds to close out very strongly, but at this point that is no surprise, Jamie completely earned my trust, and the rest of my thoughts were just noise (that's a good track by the way).
Overall this album is one of the best dance records of the year because of its colorfulness and its wild diversity. This album is not always the most upbeat and happy album, but it still really just throws itself at the listener, and by the end of this ride, you almost can't deny it. This album was a huge step forward for Jamie xx and I really look forward to what this guy may have in store.
Best Songs: Gosh, Sleep Sound, SeeSaw, Obvs, Stranger In A Room, Loud Places, Good Times
Worst Songs: Just Saying, Girl
No comments:
Post a Comment