The Theory of Everything is English
musician Jamie T’s fifth studio album. It was released last July and comes
after a six-year hiatus.
The first
impression is that of music you enjoy listening to and would like to keep on
playing continuously — provided you like it loud, of course — but that at same
time sounds like you have heard it before, sometime, somewhere. So, if the
pleasure is there, why should one complain about the “déjà heard” feeling?
Especially that the album peaked at number one on the British charts and
received an average 85 out of 100 on Metacritic, two ratings that are tangible
proof of quality music.
اضافة اعلان
A relaxed, natural,
casual way of singing, not trying to imitate any other vocalists, the genuine
inspiration, the simple approach to songwriting and composition, and a voice
that touches one, despite not being particularly beautiful in the traditional
sense, are the traits of Jamie T’s music.
The vocal delivery
is that of an artist who just sings the way he feels, without trying to follow
any model or standard, or to impress the listener. This is the very opposite of
crooners who want to charm the listener before anything else. In that sense,
Jamie T reminds me of Green Day and their megahit Good Riddance, from 1997.
Relaxed singing
does not mean easy singing. Jamie T is a skilled vocalist, technically
speaking, who flawlessly sails through rather difficult songs. He possesses an
innate knack for good timing, sharp and accurate pitch, and balanced tonality.
Which explains why, perhaps, one likes to listen to him.
The style is a mix
of regular pop with a bit of rap, but that is never exaggerated. Pure rap is
not my cup of tea, mainly because of the usual lack of melodies and the
excessive, obsessive repeats of phrases and lyrics that get on my nerves. Jamie
T, who with some of his other releases also does rap, smartly inserts a little,
just enough rap into the songs of his new album, to support the dynamics and
the rhythm of the music, without it becoming at all annoying.
Jamie T is a skilled vocalist, technically speaking, who flawlessly sails through rather difficult songs. He possesses an innate knack for good timing, sharp and accurate pitch, and balanced tonality.
The first three
tracks, 90s Cars, The Old Style Raiders and British Hell, are straight, solid,
pop songs. As I said, they simply make one keep on listening and enjoy the
moment. The fourth track, The Terror of Lambeth Love, does not seem to belong
here and sounds boring. Fortunately, it only lasts 1 minute 49 seconds.
Keying Lamborghinis
does a decent job. The rap accent is a little more accentuated here, but again,
it is well served. Track six, St. George Wharf Tower, is one of the best on the
album. The superb guitar finger picking part, in addition to being musically
beautiful, goes perfectly well with the lyrics, which are about living in high-rise
buildings. The lyrics do become strange at times: “Maybe I hope you’re happy
now…,” for instance.
The other pieces
remain in the same vein, in the realm of indie songs. Unexpectedly, some bear
accents of the Beatles, a good thing by any measure. Lyrics get a bit offensive
sometime, but they remain within acceptable limits, at least by today’s pop
songs and rap standards. This is not an “R-rated” album.
Of the 13 songs, I
estimate that three are just fillers, seven are good to very good, and three
are excellent, worth keeping in a playlist. I am not sure if this justifies the
very top spot on the UK charts, but it still makes The Theory of Everything one
of the best indie pop albums issued so far this year.
Except for British
Hell, which was penned by Glenn Danzig, all the songs were written or
co-written by Jamie T. This alone deserves kudos. Jamie T’s full name is Jamie
Alexander Treays.
Jean-Claude Elias is a computer engineer and a classically trained
pianist and guitarist. He has been regularly writing IT articles, reviewing
music albums, and covering concerts for more than 30 years.
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