- Jamie Lidell goes out for a paranoia-filled stroll
Like Mayer Hawthorne, Jamie Lidell is a thirtysomething white guy who grew up on soul records from the ’60s and ’70s and can perfectly replicate that sound in his own songs. Hawthorne was raised in Michigan; Lidell is British. But the biggest difference between them is their levels of sincerity. While Hawthorne occasionally buries his voice in hipster trickery, Lidell is straight-up into paying tribute to his idols (Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, and Prince are at the top of the list). Lidell turns a bit from his influences on his latest album, Compass. Producers Beck and Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor drape oodles of sound over the rich arrangements, sometimes leaving Lidell a side player on his own album. But he sounds funkier, and the new dressing reveals deeper layers to the singer. There’s a gruff bite to some of the new cuts that wasn’t there before, and the album’s best songs (“Completely Exposed,” “Your Sweet Boom”) thrive on this experimental edge. Lidell is a romantic, one of those guys who sweats emotion during his songs’ big payoff moments. But he does it gracefully, and he means every single word. Jamie Lidell, with Tony Castles and DJ Charles McGaw, plays the Grog Shop at 9 p.m. Tickets: $17, $15 in advance. .—Michael Gallucci
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