Jamie Lidell

Jamie LidellWarp ***

Prince Rogers Nelson has cast a long shadow across Jamie Lidell's career. This is the Nashville-based Brit's fifth studio album, and his devotion to the Purple One is still audible but certainly less pronounced than on past records. Lidell excels at blue-eyed soul and funk, but this collection frequently hurtles headlong into experimental electronica and future soul (What a Shame, In My Mind). There's still scope for more traditional finger-clicking grooves, but even they are swaddled in retro 1980s studio effects, as heard on the vibrant funk of I'm Selfish or the slo-mo intro and admirably cheesy keytar riff of So Cold. It's frequently fun and certainly a progression, but if you're not already a fan of Lidell's (or the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop), this experimental incursion may prove a little off-putting. jamielidell.com

Download:I'm Selfish, Why_Ya_Why