Unprovoked Token
Towards the last third of the song, the sparse guitar comes close to overwhelming Jamie T's mic-in-the-mouth vocals - the only thing keeping him afloat the upright bass samples thumbed underneath. Obviously this type of British ennui pop is en vogue right now, but for a reason. The most immediate touchstone seems like it would be Mike Skinner, what with the sad faced white boy singing. But really, I'm more reminded of the first Badly Drawn Boy record - something recorded at home to the best of one's ability with nothing but their own emotions for fuel.
Jamie T makes something out of nothing here -- bass sample, simple reverbed guitar, and tinny snare brush. It's the fluffiest of things, but somehow it's beautiful. There's nothing especially hip about it. It's not nu rave or the elaborate interplay of session men. It's just a guy whistling a melody and singing about a girl who needs a vacation. Simple as that really.
I expect that we'll be hearing about this guy really soon - since people from new york, LA and melbourne were talking about him to me today. Anyone in England seen his live show? I'd be really curious how it is.