Jamie Lawson... A Superb Record From A Very Talented Musician

Overnight success doesn’t come to many, but for Jamie Lawson, the opportunity to open shows for the one and only Ed Sheeran took him from playing open mic nights to entertaining 10,000 fans a night across Europe. Lawson was then invited onto the Australian leg of the tour, following which his single ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ peaked at number 3 in the Australian charts and is now about to go double platinum. To top it all off, Sheeran announced the launch of his own label, ‘Gingerbread Man’, and snapped up Lawson as his first signing. So, no pressure then!

After taking Australia and Ireland by storm (the YouTube version of ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ reached number 3 in the Irish charts), Lawson spent time writing and recording his new self-titled album with producer Will Hicks, who’s back catalogue included the likes of Ed himself, Bastille and James Blunt to name but a few.

The result is a beautiful album packed with gorgeous, heart-felt lyrics and catchy singalong choruses. With his connection to the super star, paired with a similar red haired, guitar strumming, dressed down image, many people automatically compare Lawson to Sheeran. In reality, whilst Lawson’s voice does have obvious similarities with gentle soft elements contrasted with more dramatic climaxes, there is also a bit of James Morrison thrown in, and huskier songs like the aforementioned single and mid-album track ‘Don’t Let Me Let You Go’ have an almost Tracey Chapman vibe about them.

Powerful lyrics play a huge part in folky pop, and Jamie has definitely ticked the box with this album. Single ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ is a cute little acoustic love song about a new romance, only to end with a few of gut-wrenching lines which move many to tears.

‘The Only Conclusion’, with its building chorus and backing instrumentals, feels like it would fit perfectly into a romantic movie set in New York in the snow… but perhaps that’s just me! Personal favourite ‘Ahead Of Myself’ ups the tempo a little, with a chirpy beat and lyrics which are just dying to be sung at the top of your lungs. Softer tracks on the album, ‘In Our Own Worlds’ and ‘Sometimes It’s Hard’ demonstrate Lawson’s sound completely stripped back, boasting his beautifully gentle vocals.

With an impressive touring history under his belt thanks to his support slots, it would be interesting to see how Jamie handles filling an arena with the soaring vocals and simple set up of the classic acoustic folk pop. Whilst the album doesn’t showcase anything groundbreaking or particularly adventurous, it’s a great little album with a hint of rawness that is bound to attract fans of all ages, and with huge name support from Sheeran and Warner Music, I’m expecting to see big things from this singer-songwriter.

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Words by Liss Parkes

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