CD review of Jamie Cullum's album Twentysomething (From Barry And District News)

CD review of Jamie Cullum's album Twentysomething

BELIEVE it or not, Jamie Cullum has been around long enough to release a second album Twentysomething.

After rising to prominence with his debut album Pointless Nostalgic which was recorded on the budget of a student loan, Jamie Cullum signed to Verve in a million pound deal.

His follow-up album has been recorded quite deliberately on analogue tape at London's Mayfair studios, produced by Stewart Levine who has in the past forged close links with the likes of Simply Red and BB King.

Cullum has a warm, distinctive voice which he brings to the jazz and popular classics such as What a Difference a Day Made, Singing in the Rain and I Get a Kick Out of You.

There is only one song that really doesn't benefit from Jamie's touch, and that's the usually up-beat Singing in the Rain.

This young man, who in a recent interview described himself has a dinosaur compared to many of his younger popular music contemporaries, has made a strong impression.

Stripping all the hype away from Jamie Cullum's arrival, it is difficult to know whether anyone is worth a million pounds, but Twentysomething certainly sounds like a million dollars.