Jem

Item: Finally Woken
Author: Mike Leech

Finally Woken

(2004)

Reviewed by Mike Leech

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Label ATO RecordsDecapolisMarch 2004

dance pop electronic pop

With the voice of an angel and the beats of some other angel who happens to be proficient in beat programming, Jem constructs some pretty fantastic pop songs on her debut full length album, Finally Woken. This talented young singer/songwriter from Wales combines a wide variety of styles to create a truly captivating sound that, while not exactly innovative, proves she's certainly a master of her craft. It's what you might expect Dido to sound like if she weren't an adult contemporary artist. A few of the highlights on the record include the haunting yet bouncy opener "They", the album's title track, which showcases a sunny, almost reggae vibe, and the downright gorgeous "Stay Now" which makes excellent use of a syrupy orchestral sample that sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack to Swiss Family Robinson.

My only real complaint about the album is that it sounds just a little too produced. You might end up hearing a few of these songs on the radio someday and deservedly so, but Finally Woken ultimately suffers (slightly) from its attempt at across-the-board accessibility. Hopefully on future albums Jem will explore her more experimental side in greater detail. But all my nitpicking aside, Finally Woken is a solid and promising debut effort. One of these days Jem is going to explode... in popularity, that is.

3/4