Singles

Jamie Lidell - I Wanna Be Your Telephone

Nick Lewis 12/08/2010

Rating: 3/5

Jim was one of the absolute stand out records of 2008. At first sounding like nothing more but an exceptional throwback to Motown era soul, repeated listens revealed electronic details that belied Jamie Lidell's previous life as an IDM artist extraordinaire.

'I Wanna Be Your Telephone' taken from recent album Compass takes the soul of Jim, throws in questionable, filthy Prince style double-entendres, Beck on guitar, Nikka Costa on backing vocals and large dollop of electro Warp style weirdness.

So why don't I love it?

It's a heavy slice of deeply weird, dirty funk. But I'm not sure Lidell's tuneless attempt at warbling like a dialling telephone was really such a good idea. In fact, he sounds a little lost melodically at times, and for the man who brought us 'Little Bit of Feel Good,' oddly soulless.

It's got all the right elements, and it almost works. But Jamie Lidell is at his best when he reigns his inner freak in just a little.

Release Date: Out Now