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Product Description
Review
Jamie Lidell's third album for Warp is not something you can listen to sitting down. It's a mutating and thoroughly amiable record that uses funk and soul merely as a jumping-off point, before fidgeting off elsewhere. So let's dismiss those "blue-eyed soul boy" clichés to the back of the lazy drawer.
Compass was written in a month and recorded between Beck's Hudson Studios in LA and Feist's ranch, as well as bases in New York and Canada. Lidell's co-conspirators here also include Gonzales, Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and Pat Sansone of Wilco. And maybe that's why it feels like quite a skip from 2008's Jim, and such a giant leap from his Warp debut, 2005's Multiply. This time around, it seems Lidell is determined to take things further, by dirtying an (already messy) funk blueprint.
Album openers Completely Exposed–with its rumbling bass and propulsive beat-boxing–and Your Sweet Boom are characteristic of this messiness, with heavy distortion applied to Lidell's vocals. Whereas it seems churlish to the point of humourless not see the cheek in She Needs Me. "I was hoping she'd let me in / For more than a cup of tea," sings Jamie on this slow-mo' lady-seducer. Meanwhile, The Ring has wonky keyboards that naturally remind you of Stevie Wonder circa Innervisions. But to focus on this sort of retro comparison would be to ignore all the brilliantly crazy stuff that's also going on. Jamie Lidell is not Jamiroquai.
It's a Kiss is squelchy, and you could argue lyrics like "When you're speaking, I only see your lips" as sounding the tiniest bit "Shut up woman, and kiss me". But it's fun. And though Compass initially seems like the least interesting song on the album, that's the beauty of the surprises in store. Easing into Morricone-style brass before morphing into a truly commendable, ramshackle mid-section, the sheer range of drum beats on the title track are extraordinary. It sounds as if it's been captured in a huge hall with a school orchestra at one end and street drummers at the other, battling it out. Big Drift recalls Protection-era Massive Attack, with its dense, half-asleep atmospherics and–of all things–wind chimes.
The low-slung bass of Gypsy Blood sees Lidell use stadium riffs of the sort people who call their guitars "axes" might use. Coma Chameleon is also a highlight, with deliberately discordant, speaker-blowing brass. And it's at this point you find yourself wishing to appropriate a phrase used to describe modern jazz, because it really does sound like "a fire in a zoo". But in a good way.
At the end of Compass comes You See My Light, which–taken as closing hymn–nearly makes sense. But it's a shame it sounds so smooth, when the rest of the album proves just how inventive Lidell can be. --Wendy Roby
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing,
By
This review is from: Compass (Audio CD)
This is a solid effort from Jamie.Very good fusion of different styles: funk and soul.Lyrically strong as well, Compass is a good example of this.The only let down for me is 'Big Drift' which doesn't seem to go anywhere.Other than that, fantastic.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Give me time, then I'll pay your ass!,
By
This review is from: Compass (Audio CD)
Thats about it, give the album time and then love it. Stand out tracks are 'She Needs Me', 'You are Waking' and 'Compass' but all the others have their own ticks. Think Mr Bungle with a bit more 'soul'? I dunno, but I love the album and think it should be one you all have in the bag.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Almost Unlistenable,
By
This review is from: Compass (Audio CD)
Multiply and Jim are five stars, fall on the floor amazing. This is largely because Jamie Lidell has an outstanding voice. Those of you who have only heard compass will not know what I mean by this because on this record, his voice is hidden behind a swamp of egotistical production. The basic philosophy seems to have been to sacrifice rhythm, melody, songwriting etc for hi tech trickery post-production. The lack of coherence is annoying, and trying to dissemble all the noises, stops and starts just ruins any kind of vibe. I've been waiting for his latest release for a while now and looking down the cast of characters before listening to it I spotted names like Feist, Nikka Costa, Gonzales. All of these talents, like Jamie, have been wasted on this record. I might also add that a couple of the other reviewers said they liked the soul and funk on this record. I'm not sure if they understand those genres but I would have said it's way more in the left field/avantgarde/electro area.
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