Some two and a half years after the release of his Mercury nominated debut album "Panic Prevention", Jamie Treays returned this summer, with a series of releases that has cemented his status as one of the UK's most genuine and exciting young musicians...
But why the long-hiatus?
Burnt out after a hectic period of touring following the success of his debut release (over 200,000 UK sales, tours in Europe, the US and Australia), Jamie decided to take his time with his follow-up and explore different musical avenues. Originally starting down a folk direction, he quickly scrapped this because, to quote the man himself: "it was just a bit boring." What followed was an intense eighteen month period for Jamie and his production partner Ben Bones, where the sole mission was to create music that would make people excited. It was a tough period for Jamie, who put himself on creative lock-down, with the only music surfacing being the blistering Sub-Pop inspired punk-rap of "Fire Fire" which came with a home-made video that felt like a late-80s Powell-Peralta skate movie. It was a track that exploded all over the blogs but left his fans split down the middle about what direction the Wimbledon born lad was taking.
They shouldn't have been concerned. By alternating between his garden shed studio and a higher-spec East London recording space, plus, making the decision to not release any music until he was 100% satisfied, Jamie completely avoided the second album trap.
It also meant that there was enough material first release a 4 track extended-player. The "Sticks 'N' Stones EP", released June 29th, is a brilliant work in its own right, harking back to the days when the EP was more like a mini-album. Title track "Sticks 'N' Stones" is trademark Jamie: a hugely hooky and euphoric party banger that urges you to "run with the believers".
Then, following a series of major festival appearances, the full-length album "Kings & Queens" followed on the 7th September.
The eleven track album is bolder, more mature and broader in its influences than those found on "Panic Prevention", with Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, M.I.A and the Beastie Boys all seeping into the sonics of the record. It’s a truly exciting blend of musical styles and hummable tunes that looks set to break Jamie into a wider audience.
Kings & Queens is available now on CD, download and 12 inch vinyl.
I think one thing that we can all agree on is that Jamie T doesn't take things too seriously. That's not to say that he doesn't work hard, put out quality songs and albums or tour them accordingly. I'm just saying, Jamie T likes to have some fun. His brilliance (yep, I said it) on his first album, 2007's Kev Kharas-adored Panic Prevention seemed almost accidental. It was hidden behind youthful bravado, wicked grins, and the pervasive (and effective) use of none more wonky keyboards. Having released a strong, Mercury Prize-approved debut with enough hooks to gut a fish, Jamie T waited almost two years before releasing new material. Yeah, I'm not counting 'Fire Fire', which almost nobody seemed to notice.
But the mid-section of 2009 saw the floodgates open, with Jamie T and the Pacemakers releasing two EPs to precede the release of Kings and Queens, featuring six strong songs that didn't make it onto the record. So the expectations for this album were really high, although I wouldn't exactly call it hype. Mr T was adamant that he was going to let the songs develop on their own and take the course that they presented, rather than rush them in an effort to capitalize on first album success the way so many of his landfill peers did to their detriment. Giving these songs the space to develop, and with the assistance of his best friend/producer/band member Ben Bones, Jamie T and the Pacemakers have made a masterful album, capitalizing on everything he initiated with Panic Prevention...
9/10
Two years ago Jamie T unleashed the stunning début album 'Panic Prevention', his ramshackle collection of songs about girls, drinking and debilitating panic attacks garnered rave reviews and acquired instant classic status. Two years on sees the release of 'Kings and Queens' and it appears Jamie has ditched his Beastie Boys records in favour for the football terraces.
Where 'Panic Prevention' was bursting at the seams with frantic energy and a desire to fit a hundred words a minute into every song 'Kings and Queens' is far more song based, slower and shows a greater emphasis on structure and melody than ever before. So instead of the machine gun fire of 'Salvador' or 'Pacemaker' you now have the likes of '368' and 'Man's Machine' which both boast a swaying, brothers in arms attitude that is both charming and endearing. '368' is particularly affecting, coming on like a cross between The Smith's 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' crossed with Akon. That's not to say the street spirit has deserted Treays as this 'Kings and Queens' singles prove, the ratatat pace of 'Sticks 'n' Stones' and 'Chaka Demus' administer a timely injection of pace to proceedings throughout the record...
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