Jam City’s second album ‘Dream A Garden’ dropped Monday 23rd March on the inimitable Night slugs label. With little anticipation, London producer Jack Latham’s latest release almost went unnoticed; the rest of us were on the tenth play of the new Kendrick album. True enough, Dream A Garden is modest and somewhat understated, but the nine-track LP subtly defines itself as a protest record; a slow-burner that develops its message with important undertones in the layers of the subdued lullabies.
Damage, Crisis and Black Friday play an essential role in unveiling hints of anti-neoliberalism and at second and third listen these tracks become a critique of corporate capitalism. Perhaps the stand-out of the nine tracks is the closer, Proud. In this final five minutes of the album, the listener is brought to life after the dream-like political message of the tunes prior to it, with a euphoric and hopeful end to ‘Dream A Garden’.
It’s a bold and confident musical effort in a less obvious way than Kendrick’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’. A patchy listen that progresses towards a satisfying and optimistic conclusion, it surpasses its debut counterpart, which remained just a club record. Jack Latham is evolving as an exciting artist, staying true to the RnB and post-punk influences evident in his other work and producing an imaginative concept album that is both minimalist and valiant at its core.
Dream A Garden is available to purchase on vinyl or digital release via Bleep now. Listen to Proud via Jam City’s soundcloud below.
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