Jamie T: The Theory of Whatever- Track by Track review

Jamie T is one of the most important figures in UK indie music, blending together slick guitar rhythms with rap and hip hop to create a sound that truly stands out from what anyone else offers. The wait for a new album has been long, his last being 2019's Trick. Now, 6 years later we're looking forward to seeing where his head's at now.

Here's our track-by-track review of his new album The Theory Of Whatever which has been long overdue...

 

90s Car

How refreshing it is to hear that familiar London accent. This one quickly settles into its rhythm, with a slow drumming pattern and flutters of keys. It's full of technical quirks, sudden stuttering vocals and short sequences being cut in like scrapbook pages. It's a low-key beginning with a brilliant melody.

 

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The Old Style Raiders

The first single that he came back with, it is quintessential Jamie T, a backing of growling indie rock guitars that lay the groundwork for his quick vocal scatterings. It has a typically anthemic chorus, a trademark of his songs. We can see this being belted out at festivals.

 

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British Hell

A very accurate title for our everyday life at the moment. There's a lot more of a punch here, the riffs churning like a furnace. Jamie finds himself on the attack, as he weaves a tale of living life on hell island. The strongest track of the album so far.

 

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The Terror of Lambeth Love

A quick track that sees Jamie strip off rose-tinted glasses and see things for how they actually are. There's a nocturnal feeling throughout this one, with the slight hint of synth feeling like it was generated by the moon.

 

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Keying Lamborghinis

"She's keying Lamborghinis in my mind" is a strange sentence to try and unravel. Yet Jamie describes a character who scares the locals, ruining peoples lives and being a general menace. There's a fluctuating synth line that hits really hard on this one. "The filth only makes her feel more at home". 

 

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St. George Wharf Tower

It isn't exactly clear what you should be taking away from Jamie's lyrics on this album yet, there are still memorable phrases to be taken away from this album but there's little meaning to the songs at the moment. Despite being named after an oligarch-rich tower, don't expect any grand points here. It's a distinctively quiet track.

 

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A Million & One New Ways To Die

This one goes from the jugular from the off. With vocals that seem to be in a furious storm of anger, it's songs like this with attitude and heart that attract people to Jamie T. One of the best chorus' on the album so far, it helps that the guitar riffs absolutely rip. Over three minutes of pure excitement.

 

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Thank You

The best songs talk about Uber ratings. Some of the vocal harmonies here feel like they could have been cut from a Blur sound. "It's a statement in itself to wear a uniform" is a lyric that stands out. It seems to be going through the woes of a luxury taxi man.

 

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Between The Rocks

The baton of pacey indie rock banger is picked up once again here. You really can just sit in the fact that Jamie T is one of the quickest vocalists in indie rock and he uses that to really make his songs stand out from the rest. He's constantly giving an overload of information. "I still keep writing with obsession" feels like a peek into his creative process that is still in its pinnacle.

Being lifted up from a difficult place by someone, he writes about how grateful he is to have them in his life.

 

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Sabre Tooth

The wobble of distortion on the opening guitar progression is so satisfying. It's the small touches that help these songs come alive. There's such a satisfying mixture of sounds overlapping on top of each other here, you can hardly keep up. 

 

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Talk Is Cheap

The acoustic guitar is brought out here as we hear Jamie's voice in a more intimate quality, open with heart rather than with a quickfire flow. Painting a rundown character who feels "rudderless", it speaks of regret for past actions and the way they come back for you in the future.

 

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Old Republican

There's something so calming about the way he uses the keyboard throughout this song. He sings of longing for someone after pushing them away. The feelings grow more and more intensely and the song reacts to that, the guitar gripping tighter on you and the intensity being upped and upped. A flawless track.

 

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50,000 Unmarked Bullets

A piano ballad to end the album, we get the picture of things fully falling apart, with Jamie left with little of his romance. Yet by the time we come to the end, there's reassurance that someone is still out there somewhere holding on to him.

 

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Overall, The Theory of Whatever feels like a return to normal service for Jamie T. After a long absence, he is back to what he does best and has managed to endure where other artists from 00's rock fell because of his distinctive and unique qualities. The hip-hop-inspired vocals, the quickfire vocal delivery mixed with indie rock is a fascinating sound. He doesn't get it right every time here and the lyrics can feel a bit empty at times but there are too many good choruses' to ignore. To see what else Jamie T is up to this year click here.

 

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