Jamie Lidell

While North America either has yet to — or perhaps hasn’t the slightest idea how to — break the time-honoured tradition of who typically makes quality soul records, England, for whatever reason, seems to be fertile ground for white artists with soul. Former Super_Collider member Jamie Lidell is the latest to join to ranks of such anomalous artists as stalwart, multi-instrumentalist soul man Lewis Taylor, releasing Multiply, a monstrously creative record that crosses the sounds of classic soul and early ’80s funk with electronic tweaks and touches to captivating effect. Lidell kicks the record off in fifth gear with "You Got Me,” running effortlessly through a vocal arrangement that calls for equal parts delicacy and muscle over a musically intricate funk number accented by stray background tones and vocal stabs. A distinct nod to the legendary Otis Redding can be heard on title track "Multiply,” while Lidell falls into some pure Morris Day-style synth-funk on "When I Come Back Around,” a musical feast filled with raging keyboard solos and the singer’s interestingly staggered and doubled up vocal melody that leads into a two minute instrumental workout to close out the track. The ultra live energy of the concise, ten-track album continues with the hyper, JB’s-meets-Afrobeat romp of "Newme” and the distorted sounds "The City,” before finally coming to sweet and glorious rest with the ballad "Game for Fools.” It should be very interesting to see just how people react to Jamie Lidell on this side of the pond.