Jamie T - Panic Prevention

It can't be easy working in today's record shacks. Incredulous subsections with laughable monikers such as Nu-Rave or, equally as tragic, Screamo, spit in the face of simple genre classification. With the release of Jamie T's debut album Panic Prevention, your friendly shop assistant's task won't be getting any easier. Impossible to pinpoint, this record is the kaleidoscopic sound of a young Londoner's frazzled mind. 'Dry Off Your Cheeks' Rasta peppered waffling is infused with street preaching euphoria; the blistering beat of 'Pacemaker' sneers like an urban club classic and 'Back In The Game's acoustic aplomb scuffles into Billy Bragg territory. Standing proud like a modern-day Sandinista!, tracks like 'If You've Got The Money' take the daily grime of inner-city life and transform it into a skanking slab of melodic aspiration. It may be unidentifiable, but Panic Prevention is as essential as anything by The Streets – just pity those poor shop assistants. [Billy Hamilton]