There must be something in the water in South London that's affecting the careers of young male musicians. Earlier this year, Jack Penate returned with a second album that blew his half-baked debut out of the proverbial water; now it's the turn of young Jamie Treays, whose 2007 debut was all mouthy bravado and no action.
The word on the street is that the 23-year-old has made one of the records of the year in 'King & Queens'. While it's a definite progression for Treays, it's unlikely to completely wow those who have previously been unmoved by his material - and certainly his distinctive accent and colloqualisms. That said, there's a definite sense on some of the better songs here that a newfound maturity has enveloped his songwriting sphere, even if he's still plundering the well of laddish misdemeanours when it comes to his lyrics. 'Chaka Demus' is a brilliant slice of beat-driven, sunny-side-up soul-pop, 'Earth, Wind and Fire' is a mass of skipping, shimmering, swooping urban grime that Dizzee Rascal would swap his best baseball cap for, 'British Intelligence' could almost pass for a Madness tune, and 'Jilly Armeen', one of several acoustic songs here, ends the album on a surprisingly tender if somewhat wry note.
For every pleasant surprise, though, there's a song that sounds dangerously like a Kasabian throw-off, specifically 'Hocus Pocus' and '368'. Still, the main thing to take from 'Kings & Queens' is that Jamie T does what he does well, regardless of your own personal taste - and if he hasn't changed your mind this time 'round, he may well do so in the future.
