Graffiti6 - Colours Review

Damn it, why do the Britons always get the good ones? Exhibit A is the soul-pop duo Graffiti6, featuring singer-songwriter Jamie Scott and multi-instrumentalist, producer, DJ Tommy D (Kanye West, Kylie Minogue, KT Tunstall). Their debut record Colours is an old-school, sun-drenched excursion through sturdy pop harmonics and intricate sonic patterns. Like savants, there's very little mediocrity at work here. Whether its the intoxicating lead single "Annie You Save Me," or the soon-to-be splash "Stare Into the Sun," Scott and Tommy D have tapped into something indelible, important and undeniably impressive.

Like a British version of Gnarls Barkley, Colours is awash in trappings of soul, psychedelia, Britpop, dance, funk and R&B. Equal parts hypnotic, hyper and halcyon, there's something undeniably arresting about all of it. Laden with whirring organs, hip-hop samples, swirling keys and Scott's magnetic vocals, the songs are infectious, potent and tailor-made for radio. Crooner Scott is arguably one of contemporary's music's most underrated talents and is probably only months away from becoming the American media's new obsession. He sings with such ease, such swagger and such charm, he could make the Tibetan Book of the Dead sound smoother than Cee-Loo's "F$@# You."

"Lay Me Down," borrows from the Beach Boys playbook while the spartan "Over You" is a piano-laden hymnal that's tender, compassionate and downright enchanting. On the folk-inspired "Goodbye Geoffrey Drake," and the cerebral "Calm the Storm," the duo offers up some of the album's most ruminative lyrical terrain. For all its peaks, Colours' zenith just might be the gorgeous ballad "Free." It is there that everything about Graffiti6 sounds most fleshed out. Slow moving, inviting and buttressed by Scott's pitch-perfect vocals, it is as enthralling as anything you'll hear this year....full text Graffiti 6 is the vocalist Jamie Scott and producer Tommy D, a new soul duo from London whose assured debut album sparkles with invention and throbs with emotion.


They're probably best known for the singles "Annie You Save Me" and "Stare Into the Sun", the latter a Gnarls Barkley-esque blend of characterful voice and crisp, intricate groove created from an infectious alliance of electric piano and offbeat guitar; but they're equally adept at the slower, more haunted love plaint "This Man", which resembles Seal crossed with Tricky, capped with a climactic guitar solo akin to Traffic's "Dear Mr Fantasy". The emphatic tambourine groove "Free", with its organ and falsetto vocal, the galloping stomper "Stone in My Heart" and the gently cajoling "Lay Me Down" are further standouts on an album that, come December, will be on many Year's Best lists....full text What a colourful little package this is, a psychedelic rapture encased in a brightly laced CD brought to us by, singer/songwriter, Jamie Scott and producer TommyD. Quick fact: TommyD once produced Right said Fred amongst others, but don't let that put you off having a listen to Colours. An unlikely pairing brought together as an experiment 18 months ago. Having released an EP earlier in the year, the duo brings us Colours, their first full album.

Stone In My Heart kicks it all off. A funked up, rave-esque tune, which, makes you wonder where this is all going. As the tracks continue we are powered into a mix of moments and magic, all supported by captivating blissful melodies.

Track after track they provide something different. Annie Save Me and Stare Into The Sun are two tunes you may have heard already. The latter was used for The Sun's recent advertising campaign. Encompassed in both these tracks are the repetitive hook choruses and a poppy feel. This Man is slower, fused with smoky vocals and hypnotic beats contrary to Free, which, encompasses a '60's style sound with added bells. Title track, Colours, provides a vibrant outlook, which matches the layout of the album. It's stunning in a euphoric sense of awareness. A catchy song, there's a sense of romance about it which makes it dreamy. Stop Mary, is another upbeat song that will have you dancing around. Colours, is brought to a close with Over You, a simple vocal lead track. It's an amazing close, which just shows the range Graffit6 has. It's simply spellbinding.

The twosome's laidback approach on Colours provides easy listening at its finest, that's not saying they are a middle of the road act. It's hard to pinpoint their sound; there are so many influences and variations within the music. There's a faint retro vibe throughout the album. They've picked up on a range of the best of soul, motown, psychedelia mixed it with hints of pop, dance and funk and it works. On listening to Colours it becomes poignant, the songs complement each other. Scott's vocals are like silk floating over a unique formula giving out candyfloss vibes....full text