(Virgin Music/EMI)

Phenomenal second from Wimbledon Wunderkind.

There are probably only two ways a record made by man who digs on Robert Zimmerman and Bad Brains in equal measure could go. It could be a horribly misguided collection of tripe written by someone unsure of whom they want to be. Or it could turn into an eclectic triumph celebrating all that is great about different genres of music, as is the case with Jamie T’s second album, Kings & Queens. It here that ska, punk, reggae, hip hop and rock styles come together with effortless joy and an unlikely pop sheen. From the Angelic Upstarts sampling The Man’s Machine to the reggae-pop romp of Sticks ‘N’ Stones and complex rapping on Castro Dies, Kings & Queens heralds Jamie T’s coming of age as a songwriter. While his debut 2007 album Panic Prevention was an intelligent pastiche of bits and bobs with untouchable singles in Sheila and If You Got The Money, Kings & Queens unleashes a passion for music that was lost amidst the former album’s inebriation. Chaka Demus is a jubilant tale of a life worth living before Earth, Wind And Fire hints at elements of Britpop in its chorus nailed together by the same Brixton beats that The Streets produced on Original Pirate Material. Already noted as a brilliant lyricist, earning comparisons to Mike Skinner and Alex Turner, the beauty of Jamie T’s second set is that his lyrics transcend colloquialisms. His songs are open for interpretation by anyone and everyone, and when eclectic pop is this good, true meaning is irrelevant. Outstanding.

****˝

JACK LANGRIDGE

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