In light of the recent surge of solo artists appearing with little more than a delay pedal and their voice, British musician Jamie Woon seems to be making headway on a global scale. Prior to releasing his 2008 single ‘Spirits’, written solely for voice via a Line6 DL4 loop sampler, Woon, like many others before him, started out playing open mic nights, composing beats into the morning. His current sound has been largely moulded by producer Burial, a collaboration which began after Woon decided he didn’t want to sound like ‘every other’ singer/songwriter out there. Speaking from the personal bias of one who is perpetually bored by singer/songwriter types, this aspect of Woon’s artistry was the first to catch my attention. Then I watched ‘Spirits’ around twenty times, and realised there was more to Woon than his dulcet tones and his well-kept hair-do. Despite his collaboration with the experimental-dubstep artist, Woon retains a strong stylistic sense of R’n’B and ’90s pop in his vocals throughout his repertoire. Although I am still unsure of how I feel about his latest release, ‘Lady Luck’, due to the somewhat forced marriage between Woon’s own personal vocal style and Burial’s production, the appeal of the British singer lies in touching both an alternative and a commercial sound. That and the actual ability to sing suggests that Woon is bound to be the kid on the block in no time at all.
Recommended Tracks: ‘Spirits’, ‘Night Air’, ‘Lady Luck’