Leon Jean Marie

Leon Jean Marie: Impressive debut

Bent Out of Shape

You know those sort of slinky, funky records that get under your skin almost before you realised you've been listening? Those slinky, funky records that effortlessly merge funk and r 'n' b and rock and assorted other genres into the sort of pop that has you shuffling in your seat and pounding the steering wheel? Those slinky, funky records that leave you beaming from ear to ear? Leon Jean Marie does. And he's stuck 13 of the blighters on his debut album.

This is the sort of joyous pop / rock / funk that Prince used to do so well (and to be fair still does, occasionally). Somehow though you just don't expect to find Prince's possible successor in East London.

Yes indeed, folks, despite the exotic name, Leon is a London boy, born and bred. Listen closely and that no-nonsense attitude comes through, alongside some very frank lyrics: Leon's not had the most straightforward of lives. 'What am I doing? Burning off skunk... another face in the crowd, scratching around before the cardboard box unfolds' he sings on Bed of Nails, although East End Blues' pithy couplet – 'grafted, been shafted' – speaks volumes too. And in a London accent.

A look through the credits shows that Leon's songwriting has been mostly collaborative, which the Sunday Times – as they so often do – declared a problem. Apparently teaming up with Mark Ronson, Cathy Dennis, Bloodshy & Avant, etc., 'proves' Leon's 'talent only goes so far.' We take the glass half full approach: Ronson, Dennis, etc., can pretty much cherrypick who they want to work with. If they've opted for Leon Jean Marie, that's quite an endorsement.

They say: 'The East Londoner...is heading up a new breed of urbane, smart pop innovators. Bent Out of Shape is a gem of a debut... flavours of Prince's sophisticated melodic guile... dispatched with a chirpy, soulful sensibility.' The Guardian

We say: If we were getting a summer this year, Bent Out Of Shape would be the soundtrack to it.

Best Track: Fair, Glow, Bring It On... there's a lot of potential singles here.

share this story: