Jem - Down To Earth (Dramatico)

When Jem Griffiths arrived on the scene in 2004, another female singer/songwriter was brushing everyone aside. Dido's second release was selling by the bucket load and Jem often found herself compared to the million seller. The similarities were hard to ignore though, with the vocal performance quite similar. However musically, many discovered there was much more to discover on Jem’s 'Finally Woken' than Dido's 'Life for Rent'.

Four-and-a-bit years later the girl from Cardiff returns with her second release, and an intriguing effort it is too. Not a lot has changed, and that’s a good thing. Previously, there were elements of rock, new-wave and trip-hop, and here there's quite a range of styles too. Jem doesn’t mind experimenting and more often than not it works.

We start with the splendid foot-tapping title track 'Down to Earth' that has a cutting lyric about the state of the world with an upbeat tempo. The title hints at an interest in things out of this world, and it's a theme that re-occurs later with closing track 'On Top Of The World'. This is one of several tracks produced by Lester Mendez, who has worked with Shakira and Nelly Furtado. The track has a slow trip-hop beat, sprinkled with an understated piano, over which Jem sings about flying like a bird.

In between, there’s plenty to explore. 'Crazy' bravely features a banjo, while the naughty 'I Want You To...' starts with Spanish dialogue and turns into a raunchy Latin shuffle as Jem sings about "bodies like magnets". Lead single 'It's Amazing' starts with gentle piano before giving way to drum beats, and then a hook-laden chorus. You may have heard this on the 'Sex And The City' soundtrack, but don’t let that put you off.

If anything, 'Down To Earth' is more melodic than her debut, with 'You Will Make It' forming the centerpiece. This is a six-minute tribute to two lost friends. While this has a deliberately mournful tone, 'And So I Pray' and 'Got It Good' are gentle but not melancholy.

This is an impressive follow-up to her debut, and given the right sort of exposure, including more of those TV programmes that liked much of her previous material, Jem could be in for a very busy 2009.

Rating: 4/5

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Artist: Jem Title: Finally Woken Released: 23/03/2004 Buy Now \| View Details	Artist: Jem Title: Down to Earth Released: 16/09/2008 Buy Now \| View Details

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Jem - Down To Earth (Dramatico)
Often compared to Dido, Welsh singer Jem tackles the second-album problem in fine style, with a cracking collection of dance-influenced pop gems!

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jem_(singer)

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