'Getting to the top is difficult, staying at the top is even more difficult' is the cliché. Jamie Cullum has a say in it. At the time of his breakthrough album Twentysomething (2004), a wide audience fell for his showman skills and sophisticated songs. That sudden popularity also had its downside, because his poppy jazz style also provoked a lot of resistance. But look, ten years after his
… breakthrough, Cullum is still there, successful and well. Jazz purists hated Cullum's style, but really he is just a skilled songwriter who adds the occasional pinch of jazz to his accessible pop sound. Each song has its own sound, from neo soul (Anyway) to a sweet ballad (Pure Imagination) and a swing song a la Miss Emerald in The Same Things. On the electronic Love For Sale (with a guest appearance by rapper Roots Manuva) Cullum convincingly explores new areas. With Momentum, already his sixth album, Cullum maintains himself at the top of pop Olympus. (PdK)more
