ALBUM REVIEW: King Of Clubs – Jamie Lenman

There are few musicians who have made the same significant impact on the UK alternative scene as JAMIE LENMAN, having stages named in his honour at 2000trees and having a devoted following throughout his career. After the success of his most recent album Shuffle, he is due to return with one of the darkest records in his catalogue in the shape of mini-album King Of Clubs which is out now via Big Scary Monsters. Are you sitting comfortably? You may experience some turbulence.

Summer of Discontent (The Future is Dead) comes stomping in with groove ridden riffs as LENMAN‘s signature snarling screams smack you straight in the face. The track possesses a very raw punk-like energy and the impactful vocal talents of PENGSHUI‘s Illaman are the perfect accompaniment to the rampant energy which is immediately unleashed. The distorted, discordant tones of Sleep Mission take centre stage leaving you in a state of bewilderment. Whilst this chaos is unravelling you are also subject to a bombardment of vicious vocal barrages that will have your head spinning by the time they are finished with you. Like Me Better isn’t quite as frantic as its predecessors but focuses on some introspective, self-deprecating subject matter. The emotive vocals which slip in between the chunky bass lines and tranquil melodies harness an incredibly soothing quality, offering the listener a range of hallmarks that have assisted in JAMIE LENMAN acquiring such adoration on his journey.

I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend picks up the frenzied pace once more, getting some of LENMAN‘s displeasure with society off of his chest. The tone of this track isn’t particularly dark sounding but the instrumentation certainly takes an extreme twist with a flurry of crazy drumming segments. The Road To Right possesses an incredibly addictive beat and tempo, taking a more steady, straightforward rock mentality that is guaranteed to be stuck in your mind for hours after listening. This is precisely the level of diversity that is available in JAMIE LENMAN‘s frighteningly extensive arsenal. Kill Me revisits the darker side of the spectrum with thought provoking lyrics such as “I want to breathe my dying breath into your open mouth” to put the listener on edge, wondering what is due to unfold next. King Of Clubs takes a more sombre approach with subtle instrumentation and ominous, echoing tones that lurk in the atmosphere. As the track progresses some heavier riffing and prominent cymbal hits are introduced to elevate the chilling vibe. Despite harbouring no vocals inside its runtime it is potentially the most evocative piece within this release, leaving the listener to interpret what lies within.

King Of Clubs is yet another masterstroke of creativity from a musician who seems to know no bounds. JAMIE LENMAN constantly pushes his sound to new territories, refusing to become complacent in a certain period or mood and this is what makes his music so fascinating. The lyrical content that is woven within offers up plenty of opportunities for the listener to look within themselves and leave them feeling slightly uncomfortable with what is unfolding and whilst the tracks are quite small digestible chunks they carry a tonne of impact. This release is certainly going to have his existing fan base jumping for joy and have everyone else wondering what took them so long to get acquainted with one of the most exciting musicians on the circuit.

Rating: 9/10

King Of Clubs is out now via Big Scary Monsters.

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