Jamison Young

This is a lovely slow drive of an album is the sound of a man just playing his songs, albeit in a post production environment.

Frills are not what young is about . The tunes are acoustic guitar based and the beats ,samples and splashes of sound that adorn them serve to complement and confirm his workman like touch ,thankfully not distracting from what is a thouroughly enjoyable set of beautifully crafted songs.

The opening track , how far, seems to shuffle on to the stereo, eyes fixed to the floor, as the opening words commence half a bar after an acoustic guitar pluck . But as the chorus opens up ,the whole song shifts subbtly, as if, head lifted ,eyes wide open ,the song itself slips into its own relaxed comfort zone. A feeling that continues throughout the album.

With vaugely weary but thoughtful and compassionate lyrics, the songs here are marked by simple but effective melodies and some very catchy choruses Solar System is a highlight. Ethereal and unanchored by standard song structure, it is one of those slightly spooky meanderings which David Bride
specialiises in that could just go on and leaves the listener slightly sad when it comes to an end.

Soldiers Of Happiness is an unusually upbeat,lilting jamaican style number, all light and dizzy, while Live On A Moon and Steps Beyond are wistful daydreams that float along on seas of string synths ,xylophones,acoustic guitars and roling drum patterns.

An atmospheric and inventive recording, Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car is a very real album .strip away the guest musicians and production after thoughts ( all of which add great value ,mind you ) and you have an album of songs sung by a man with his guitar.

Which is what will make this album as listenable and penetrating in 10 years time as it is today. Quietly sombre but tantalisingly intimate.


- Phill Bennett

This is quite refreshing. Jamison Young comes from Sydney, Australia andwrites what is best described as electro-folk songs. Jamison's electronicsounds are featured more in the background, which brings out a melancholy feel to the proceedings and compliments his songs nicely.

HOW FAR is about escaping from the place that is familiar to you. CRUSH is one of the highlights on the album and is best described as a Dido style chill-out track. TOP OF THE HILL, which is so chilled out, is best heard after a few smokes if only to enhance the amount of space found in thisunique sounding track. SOLDIERS OF HAPPINESS musically is breezy and happy but the lyrics are not. Not many artists would try that and is in fact a brave thing for Jamison to do.

LIVE ON A MOON sounds like a Roger Waters out-take from the Pink Floyd album THE WALL. COLD WORLD is another dark piece but thankfully we move away to the melancholic STEPS BEYOND. The music here is sparse and suits Jamison's voice. At times, this turns into a tripper, of the floating kind, album.

At times, Jamison reminds me of Beth Orton both musically and vocally. While Jamison might not have the world¹s greatest voice, his approach to his music is interesting and the kind of songs he is producing is not quite similar to
what his contemporaries are doing. It will indeed be interesting to see how Jamison will follow this album up but for now enjoy and spread the word.

http://www.phase9.tv/musicreviews/jamisonyoung-shiftingsandsofabluecar-a.htm

- EDF

There is a great imagination at work on shifting sands. Produced by the impeccable Tim Powles , Young has achieved a minor masterpiece in the mould of Badly Drawn Boy or a solo David McComb. There is a lot of space and mood around Young's delicate songs. based around a nylon string guitar, the songs are brought to life by a well rounded studio approach and a swag of quite sad songs.

One of the highlights of the album is crush , a languid and lingering affair memories Child wouldn't sound out of place on a Steve Kilbey solo album its linear approach is more poetical than empowering .What Jamison lacks in vocal delivery he makes up for interesting lyrics and clever studio approach. his vocal delivery has a strong effect even in its minimal delivery.Top of the hill is a perfect example of this with some of the verses whispered.there is some wonderful textured programming here. Imagine the Trifords ,the the and Steve Kilbey rolled into one audio companion and thats perhaps one way of describing Jamisons album .Live on a moon is an abstract piece, which veers from the depressing to the queer. The use of occasional trumpet on songs like cold world gives the album an even more interesting inward reflection. There is a dark mood to much of this material, yet some of the production drags a sense of humour from these musical forays.

There are a couple of songs here that would sound great on radio and Jamison's voice has a great warmth buttery effect on the sense. Shifting sands of a blue Car is a great first album by a relatively unknown artist, something to be proud of.

- Sebastian Skeet

A beautiful album from a local songwriter who takes his powerful melodic capacity -the acoustic guitars ,the tortured vocals -and meshes it with the fleeting sounds of computer driven technology . The arrangements on shifting sands of a blue car give it unique depth .This is a layered and richly textured album, conjuring up evocative images with its haunting lyrics which seep with slow grace into the consciousness of anyone who dares to allow it .This is not an album of ‘hit1 singles .And its uncompromising production values will doubtless terrify mainstream radio .But its challenging and engaging listen throughout ,and for that Jamison Young is one to keep an eye on.

- Zolton Zavos

Jamison Young is an independent Australian artist who has just completed his new CD "Shifting Sands of a Blue Car".Put this CD in the player, set the computer to the best fractal you have, and just space. Meld into the existentialism of the sounds cascading from the speakers. I was in my imaginary car, dreamily floating down a primal road, watching the clouds of thought and emotion Jamison creates float by. I stuck my hand out the top of the convertible and could almost grab the ephemeral. Suddenly track six, "Soldiers", put the car's wheels on a constantly shifting and swirling road to an unknown and limitless musical
horizon.

This CD is unique. It has elements of techno, bright and jazzy trumpet , Chris Isaac meets Pink Floyd vocals, subtle yet intricate guitar work, and unbelievable rhythms, all in a mixture that comes across smooth yetengaging. It definitely inspires run on sentences. Explaining the experience of listening to "Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car" is like trying to explain or remember a great yet totally existential dream. The more you try the more it escapes you. The title really works for this album.

The American music industry rarely ever allows an artist like Jamison Young to thrive. His music cannot be readily pigeonholed, for it utilizes so many different musical elements and genres. It's not techno, yet there are great samples and beats. It's not jazz or mariachi, yet there are mexi-lectric trumpets that express the emotions of both styles. It isn't pop or rock either, though these basic musical elements flow smoothly like cool cascading water on a hot day.

Basically you won't find this CD listed under any of these categories of music. It's listed under its own category. It's a must-have for any collection, even if it's just for the song "Soldiers". "Solar system" and "Island" will transport you to musical enlightenment as well. Whichever musical place you visit while in the "Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car" is worththe visit. My overall experience with this CD was like drinking an electric fruit smoothie while lying in a hammock on the dark side of the moon. "The mirror on the mantlepiece tells me it's time to leave because the soldiers of happiness have gone to sleep" - Jamison Young "Soldiers"

- Billigan

"Jamison Young has discovered a near perfect blend of folk, techno and retro in his latest effort on the Nautilus Music label, Shifting Sands of a Blue Car. Defying definition, this independent artist from Sydney Australia falls into a category of his own with his surreal yet lucid works of electronic folk music. At once invigorating and relaxing, Young's mellow tracks evoke memories of Dylan and the folk artists of the 1960s, while at the same time maintaining an identity all their own. While at times the lyrics seem strained and over thought, the musical backdrop makes up for any shortcomings lyrically. He weaves together an incredible blend of acoustic and techno, with jazz and latin elements that liven the sound and hold the listener's ear. Each new listen reveals previously unnoticed elements and meaning, corroborating Young's assertion in "Crush" that "things are never what they seem."


- Jessica Knot

I can't really discribe/catogrize Jamison Young becuase his music has so many styles to it. I can say that if you like The Beatles or Bob Dylon then this is your man. I'm saying this because his songs remind me of the Beatles... simple tunes and great lyrics. Also because this record songsmore like they should be in one of those heart felt movies ( eyes get kind of full up with tears at this point ). I guess you could say that Young is more soft rock, but i'd hate to say that because you cant finger point to what the style of music is. All i can say this type of record that you'd listen to when you just want to lay back and relax.

overall: you gota love a guy that writes simple tunes and great lyrics

- Freakz

Jamison Young concocts an oddball mix of meandering acoustic folk songs and stuttered breakbeats, discotheque grooves, DJ scratches, lush string arrangements, and vocal effects that makes Shifting Sands of a Blue Car much more than your average do-it-yourself album.

Although Young¹s songwriting isn¹t always quite enough to blow the listener away, his partner-in-crime, producer Tim Powles (The Church), adds his well-utilized fingerprint to each track via dabs of electronica dance beats, psychedelic samples and evocative instrumentation that are worthy of notice in their own right. This rich marriage of the organic and mechanical result in what could be your parents Portishead ‹ you know, if Portishead had a guy singer and your parents were also really in to Pink Floyd.

The gripping Crush delivers hushed arpeggioed jazz chords and somber lyrics blended with a dub beat that keeps everything fresh and easy to listen to. Carry The World finds a lamenting Young expressing his distress over a lilting keyboard riff and drawling trumpet melodies that cause the listener to feel the heavy burden that oppresses the somber singer. Overall, Jamison Young is a talented songsmith whose love of soft, slow songs and penchant for the more experimental sounds of the Œ70s psychedelic scene and electronica make Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car an album that should be listened to and learned from.

http://www.leftoffthedial.com/JamisonYoung_Shifting.htm

- Louis Miller

"My overall experience with this CD was like drinking an electric fruit smoothie while lying in a hammock on the dark side of the moon. "
Billigan - Long Island Music Scene New York

"live on a moon sounds like a Roger Waters out-take from the Pink Floyd album the wall"
by EDF - Phase9.TV - Uk

"Defying definition, this independent artist from Sydney Australia falls into a category of his own with his surreal yet lucid works of electronic folk music"
Jessica Knot - USA

"There is a great imagination at work on shifting sands"
Sebastian Skeet - Drum Media -street press Australia

"This is a layered and richly
textured album, conjuring up evocative images with its haunting lyrics which seep with slow grace into the consciousness of anyone who dares to allow it"
Zolton Zavos - Revolver - street press Australia


"The Sydney-based singer/songwriter dresses his introspective and highly personal songs in a dense and evocative production effort that lifts the material to a lofty level"
Shane Nichols - Australian Financial Review

"I'm saying this because his songs remind me of the Beatles... simple tunes and great lyrics"
- Freakz Of Rock - USA

"psychedelic samples and evocative instrumentation that are worthy of notice in their own right."
Louis Miller - left off the dial - USA


"this album as listenable and penetrating in 10 years time as it is today ,quietly sombre but tantalisingly intimate"
Phill Bennett - Nova street press Australia

"unchallenged experimental singer songwriters. iota springs to mind as being of similar ilk"
Steve Baker - ABC music Australia

"The lyrics are extremely well-written and introspective views of the world and all of which affects it "
J-Sin - smother.net

"Something a little shy, a little self effacing, a little deeper, a little conscious of being a very personal revelation. This is one such album."
Andrew Tucker -Gold Coast Australia Young Sydney electro-folk artist Jamison Young comes from the new breed of technologically UNchallenged experimental singer songwriters. iOTA springs to mind as being of similar ilk.

This album is melancholy but reasonably fresh, sampling widely from sources as various as very nice acoustic guitar work (Crush), to a feel a little reminiscent of Pink Floyd (Top Of The Hill), to a muted, adult nursery rhyme timbre (Carry the World). Then there are touches of scratch and very nice trumpet.

The album has been mixed by The Church's Tim Powles which would account partially for this album's more eclectic touches and professional sound.

'Crush', the least eccentric track on the album has real bite. It's a bitter, lost-love song which sports the refrain "You've judged and tried me ten times over and you told me that I'm cheap/ you've said that I should get a life, get a life just leave."

Jamison Young has marked himself as being a recording artist to watch with this debut album.


- many sources

Its not so easy to get reviewers to live shows, please view coments in the guestbook http://www.jamyoung.com http://www.myspace.com/jamyoung , this artist has moved to Prague from Sydney. - guest book