Jamie Leo : 'Mr Smooth'
Released: 15th June 2009
Label: Seventy Recordings
Very seldom is soul pulled off as effectively and credibly as this, the first release from new girl on the soul scene Jamie Leo. Unfortunately for her she could be dubbed the next Joss Stone, which would however be nothing but a major insult to an artist who is so obviously a lot more talented.
Jamie Leo delivers a fresh take on a type of soul that has been missing from the market for sometime, an uncomplicated, stripped back sound that simply makes you smile. It would be easy to imagine the song playing in the background of a late 70’s Blaxplotation film thanks to its smooth swagger and tight guitar soloing.
While the song does not have the most inspired or interesting lyrics, giving into the clichés of the genre (which only help to anchor the idea of it being in a Blaxploitation soundtrack) describing a man as smooth and discussing his skin colour and appearance, it’s easy to ignore the lyrics as Leo’s voice alone provides an easy distraction.
Her voice is raw, untrained and edgy yet still sounds rich and has a beautifully strong warmth to it. She wouldn’t sound out of place on an album with the such esteemed artists as Erykah Badu or Jaguar Wright.
While the lyrics somewhat let the song down, it would be criminal to disregard Jamie or the song for this reason alone when she is obviously so talented. ‘Mr Smooth’ is a worthy first effort from a superstar of tomorrow, and a joy to listen to.
Words: Kevin Angel
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