Jamie and His Dancing Shoes

You know an album is good when you're legitimately debating between 7 songs to post and you're only posting 2. And Jamie Lidell's Jim, finally out Tuesday, just might be the best album of the year to this point. Lofty praise, indeed.

How does a geeky modern-Elvis-Costello-lookin' white dude from England end up with pipes reminiscent of the Reverend Al Green (still alive and crooning, by the way)? This record is an immediate classic. Soul is back, baby, but it ain't nothin' like it used to be. Tracks like "Figured Me Out" feature foot-stomping piano-drum combos and playful hand percussion. The upbeat numbers almost have a hip-hop approach, still dripping old school style, of course. Jim is the ultimate example of blending the old with the new. Twisting staleness into freshy-freshness. Jamie owes a lot to Stevie, Al, Sam, and Marvin for this record, but I'm guessing they're just happy to be in the conversation again. In this one, your feet will do all the talking.

Listen:
Wait for Me
Green Light
[from Jim|buy]