Jamie N Commons (why no punctuation, brother?) is a curiosity. To try and match his 22-year-old face with his cigs-and-bourbon voice is like working on a jigsaw puzzle that’s missing a few pieces—the image is there, but it doesn’t quite match the photo on the box. How, you might wonder, does a boy from Britain manage to evoke the spirit of a mysterious American outlaw? Or, better yet: how does he pull it off?
The Baron, Commons’ debut EP, paints a vivid picture of someone who prefers living on the fringe of society. A loner—or maybe an “avoider”—by nature, but a dark romantic at heart, he’d probably frequent dodgy alleyways and sad open spaces to emote without being bothered. He is a Cohen brothers’ character. He is the Man with No Name. He is the one your mother warned you about. Like his icon, the original “man in black,” Commons seems to identify more with the antihero than with the sweet, perpetuallylovesick protagonist. Inevitably, the ladies will swoon.After all, what is more intriguing than a musician who adopts a highly stylized persona without losing credibility?* (And for the record, his cred looks good.)
Commons makes ample use of Johnny Cash-esque filters but there are also shades of Tom Waits, whose “fire and brimstone stomp” is cited as creative impetus. Waits’ influence is especially prominent in the young singer’s distinct tone: references to Christianity as a sort of brutal allegory (“The Preacher”); genre bending (the bluesy rock ballad “Now Is Not the Time”); and haunting musical rifts (all of the above). They even share a love of odd chapeaus. Check out the music video for “The Preacher”:
Jamie N Commons will celebrate the release of The Baron with an official launch at The Old Queens Head (London) on October 17. The EP is available digitally via iTunes and limited edition signed copies can be pre-ordered at Rough Trades (UK) and Recordstore.co.uk. For more information, visit his website: www.jamiencommons.com.
*Sorry Garth Brooks.
The Baron, Commons’ debut EP, paints a vivid picture of someone who prefers living on the fringe of society. A loner—or maybe an “avoider”—by nature, but a dark romantic at heart, he’d probably frequent dodgy alleyways and sad open spaces to emote without being bothered. He is a Cohen brothers’ character. He is the Man with No Name. He is the one your mother warned you about. Like his icon, the original “man in black,” Commons seems to identify more with the antihero than with the sweet, perpetuallylovesick protagonist. Inevitably, the ladies will swoon.After all, what is more intriguing than a musician who adopts a highly stylized persona without losing credibility?* (And for the record, his cred looks good.)
Commons makes ample use of Johnny Cash-esque filters but there are also shades of Tom Waits, whose “fire and brimstone stomp” is cited as creative impetus. Waits’ influence is especially prominent in the young singer’s distinct tone: references to Christianity as a sort of brutal allegory (“The Preacher”); genre bending (the bluesy rock ballad “Now Is Not the Time”); and haunting musical rifts (all of the above). They even share a love of odd chapeaus. Check out the music video for “The Preacher”:
Jamie N Commons will celebrate the release of The Baron with an official launch at The Old Queens Head (London) on October 17. The EP is available digitally via iTunes and limited edition signed copies can be pre-ordered at Rough Trades (UK) and Recordstore.co.uk. For more information, visit his website: www.jamiencommons.com.
*Sorry Garth Brooks.
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