Pensive, uplifting and hopeful for the future, Jamie Lidell’s latest album, “Building a Beginning,” showcases the singer’s versatility and willingness to experiment. Lidell blends soul elements with electronic, pop and rock to create a 14-track album of soothing yet thought-provoking songs — a perfect complement to a relaxed state of mind.
The album opens with the song “Building a Beginning,” an optimistic ode opening with a slow and somber melody which gradually builds as the song progresses, embodying the idea of striving for a brighter future.
Lidell reinforces the notion of rebuilding with the transition from the doubtful and grim lyrics of the first verse: “I, I, remember / Thinking I didn’t have the answer” to the confident and bold lyrics of the second verse: “Oh I, can, deliver / Without moving, to surrender / And I, can, make up my mind / To carry on.” Combined, these elements create a relaxed and optimistic vibe.
Lidell’s love songs are the best part of the album, ranging from painful unrequited love in songs like “In Love and Alone” to uncontainable desires for a loved one in “Motionless.” In the most heartfelt of his compositions, “How Did I Live Before Your Love,” Lidell expresses his undying gratefulness for a lover who helped turn the singer’s life around. The song combines soul with reggae and electronic components to make this track the most emotionally raw and musically diverse on the album.
After 11 uplifting tracks celebrating love and friendship, the album shifts gears for its final three songs. Contrary to the rest of the record, these songs abandon the notion of a hopeful future and dwell on the gloom of the present. In “Precious Years,” Lidell croons about the lonely people of the world “plagued by anger and fear.” In “I Stay Inside,” he mulls over his decision to leave the outside world and hide from everyone in a muffled and drowsy voice. While the addition of these tracks makes for an intriguing contradiction, overall the inconsistency with the rest of the album creates incoherency rather than well-crafted contrast.
With its mix of sounds and overall positive vibe, “Building a Beginning” is a success for Lidell, an album which will surprise and delight listeners across all genres.
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