Compass (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

In some ways, Jamie Lidell is returning here to the techno dabblings that marked his ‘90s work on his own and with Super_Collider. But more significant is the presence of genre-bending auteur Beck as a key collaborator on these tracks. The result takes Lidell’s natural R&B instincts and subjects them to a rigorous industrial treatment, resulting in an album that both prods and seduces the listener. The rattling metal-funk of “The Ring,” “Gypsy Blood” and “Completely Exposed” surround Jamie with clanging rhythms and echoing atmospherics. “I Wanna Be Your Telephone” suggests a mutated updating of ‘80s-era Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis groovesmanship. Lidell turns down the clatter on “It’s a Kiss” and “You See My Light,” delivering subdued yet sensuous performances. Compass reveals its fullest vision on its title track, a sparse, acoustic-rooted number with eerie psychedelic interludes. With stellar support from the likes of Leslie Feist, Nikka Costa and Chilly Gonzales, Lidell follows his inner compass into fascinating territory on this risk-taking album.