Jamie Lidell

At this point, if you don't know about Jamie Lidell, you'd seriously better ask somebody.  Since his 2005 smash hit Multiply, he has been making a name for himself as one of the most dynamic and interesting representatives of what is really a rather impressive British soul music revival, and also as one of the most electrifying live performers touring the world today.  His latest album, Compass, is a tour de force, featuring not only some of his most adventurous vocal efforts to date, but also showcasing his considerable talents as a producer.  While one can still hear frequent collaborator Mocky's lingering influence throughout Compass, the album as a whole has a grittier, more distorted sound that's reminiscent of Lidell's earlier, more experimental electronic releases on Warp, as well as his collaborations with Christian Vogel as Super Collider.  His previous album, Jim, refined his sound as a soul singer and left him at a turning point at which many artists find themselves while hitting their stride, where they could comfortably settle into a predictable pattern of what works which ultimately becomes stale and gimmicky.  I'm quite pleased to see him continuing to push the envelope and challenge both himself and his listeners.  I highly recommend buying Compass, and moreover, even more highly recommend that you take whatever opportunity you can to see him live.