Jamie T Panic Prevention Review

There's been hype aplenty in the build up to the debut album of South London singer-songwriter Jamie T. Several singles and a plenitude of live dates have whetted the appetite of ardent fans waiting for this big-label release. Fear not followers, the time spent chalking off the days was well worth it. And for those who still remain clueless, sit down, pour yourself a drink and enjoy this intoxicating debut. Fulfilling his promise to keep it real, Panic Prevention is a beautifully scrappy record piecing together tales of nights, fights and plenty of pints in a way that make you yearn for a piece of the action.

Made in his bedroom, inspired by his mates, and cleverly punctuated by random sound-bites, the twelve tracks combine to make a riotous mix of punk, rap, reggae and folk. Billy Bragg, The Streets and The Libertines all spring to mind, but Jamie arguably stakes a claim to his very own genre.

“Back In The Game” illustrates exactly where Jamie T has come from - one man, an acoustic bass and a poetic tale which stumbles along and occasionally falls over. Since then, a full band, The Pacemakers, has been added to flesh out Jamie's sound, particularly in the live department – and with mixed results. Where "If You Got The Money", "Calm Down Dearest" and "Operation" make good use of the extra attention, others seem a little too glossy. There is definitely a case for live favourites "Sheila" and "Salvador" to have been kept in their original stripped-down state.

That said, the addition of the band has given Panic Prevention a more varied feel, and Jamie’s vocals are always on mark – even if his less-than-dulcet tones will prove off-putting for some.

Crack open a can, raise a glass or just go and see him live; Jamie T is well worth toasting in 2007.