Customer Reviews

Down to Earth

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One of my biggest problems with Jem's debut album "Finally Woken" was that too many of the songs sounded alike. They were very pretty songs, but still too alike.

Fortunately that problem is nicely remedied in the songs of "Down to Earth," the more colourful and textured sophomore album. Without losing her signature sound, the Welsh pop singer splatters her upbeat pop tunes and occasional plaintive ballads with a wide range of instrumentation and some sharper beats. It's a more mature, rounded album and it unfolds with only a few musical hiccups.

It opens with a heartbeat, a rippling piano, and a breath of wind, before fading out... only to be replaced by a solid, uptempo pop melody. The song itself is far less sunny -- "So capable of love yet/too scared to open up... creating problems daily/no wonder some go crazy/so special and so gifted/most don't know his stare..." Jem sings sadly over the sharp beats and buttery pop melodies. "I don't think you see/your destiny/and it makes me sad..."

She opts for a deliciously funky tone in the sharp-edged "Crazy," and then does a total about-face for the sensual, Latin-flavoured dancefest of "I Want You To" ("Moving forward and arching backward/that hot look in your eye...."). Though Jem never goes as far stylistically as in those first few songs, she mixes it up pretty well -- delicate piano ballads, straightforward pop tune, jazzy little tunes, wonky experimental fuzz-acid-dance, a breathless pop-rocker, and finishing up with the breezy, sunny "On Top of the World."

Perhaps the best representation of "Down To Earth" is the twinkly hand-clapping "I Always Knew," a sprightly little pop tune about "making to the top" and how "if I got to toughen up that is what I'll do." Compared to her rougher, less mature debut album, Jem's latest work is much fuller and more mature, and she takes some bold forays into heretofore unexplored territory with new confidence -- although she stumbles in the painfully awkward "Got it Good" ("Whatever color, race or creed/come on and hold my hand/cause I don't differentiate").

Part of "Down To Earth's" polish comes from the smooth instrumentation. Most of the album is a smooth, glossy interweaving of jazzy piano, violins, a folky guitar, ethereal music-box tinkles, and gentle sweeps of mellow synth winding around the more organic instrumentation. That could have been very monotonous, but Jem dodges the bullet by draping her melodies with some amazing flourishes -- M.I.A.-style electronica, wah-wah guitars, wind chimes, wobbling distortion, handclaps. "Keep On Walking" even ends with a gospel-style choir.

And Jem's husky, flexible voice runs through the center of each song, singing of struggles in the music biz, lost loved ones ("You will make it through/I promise you/she would want you to"), faithless lovers, idealistic dream-pursuit, and even a song from the POV of a extraterrestrial observer. Her songwriting is perhaps the weakest point -- they're not bad, but they're not excellent either ("And you'll see/cause if it's meant to be/nothing can compare to deserving your dreams... it's amazing/makes my heart sing...").

Jem's second album hits some lyrical speedbumps, but "Down To Earth" successfully polishes up her mellow pop tunes even as it adds new life and colour to them. Definitely a worthwhile little pop album.

There's no other word for it - Jem sparkles in this long awaited follow up to her 2004 debut album Finally Woken.

Her music will be familiar to fans of popular shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The OC, 24, Six Feet Under, Gossip Girl and others, as well as the movies Eragon and $ex and the City, as it seems that music by this talented Welsh singer/songwriter is just about everywhere you turn.

This album is an interesting mix of musical genres - funk, latin, and pop, among others. On one track she sings with South African singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasela, and in others she sings in Japanese and Spanish.

The singles so far are the brilliant "So Amazing" (from the movie $ex and the City); the retro-funky "Crazy" (from Gossip Girl) and "I Always Knew" (from 90210)

Watch for possible singles in the Latin beat track "I Want You to.." (think Shakira); the inspirational "Keep On Walking"; the peppy dance track "Aciiid!" (think Britney when she's on form) and the mellow "And So I Pray" and "On Top of the World".

All the tracks are co-written by Jem (Jemma Griffiths), and every track is a winner. Highly recommended for just about everybody.



Amanda Richards, September 27, 2008

I don't review too many CDs because it's just hard to describe music. But, every once in a while a new artists or a CD will come along that I feel compelled to share with anyone who will listen. A couple of years ago someone on Last.FM recommended Jem to me. I had never heard of her. I'm not sure how many of you have. I bought the CD and was immediately hooked. I couldn't wait for another one to come out. You have to understand that as an old geezer now, I've turned into one of those people who complain that all the music "the kids" listen now-a-days is garbage. It all sounds alike and none of it's worth listening to. Not back like in our day. It takes a special artist to wake me out of my musical funk and stop playing all the oldies from the 70s and 80s. Jem is one of those artists. Her first album "Finally Woken" was phenomenal. I like artists who write their own songs and I pay a lot of attention to lyrics. Jem's songs are not only musically appealing. But, her lyrics are uplifting and thought-provoking. I like her view of the world. I could go on about her first album. But, as good as that one was, her sophomore effort "Down to Earth" is even better.

Jem has a slightly husky voice that is just as enjoyable on an up-beat dance tune as it is on a moving ballad. This album is very varied in style but does not come off as disjointed. There are so many CDs now where even after several listens, I can barely tell one song from another. The picture Jem paints with with this CD uses the full palette of colors, not just many shades of the same color.

Down To Earth- is a song sung by an extraterrestrial Jem who is looking at humanity and who is saddened that we are so disconnected from each other, missing our potential and not getting the joy out of life that we should be getting. The guitar work sounds slightly Middle Eastern and there's just enough strings to make the song musically interesting.

Crazy- really turns the beat around. The song rocks with a funky banjo and a dance beat. Jem is telling a boyfriend who is making her crazy that he's simply not welcome anymore and to hit the road. Nothing deep about this song. Just a "Hit the Road Jack" for the year 2008.

I Want You To.. - Gets all Spanish on you with the guitar work, the beat and the spoken Spanish intro. This is a simple feel good song about just getting to know Jem (and her body). Very sexy. Very appealing.

It's Amazing- It's definite got a "Jem sound". A little bit of classical piano mixed in with some drum machines. A great song about just how great it feels to be alive.

Keep On Walking- opens with a blues/gospel riff from a female vocalist. Not much in the way of lyrics. Just about the need to keep moving forward through life and asking God for strength.

You Will Make It- This one is a real tearjerker. Just Jem and a piano at the beginning. Later a cello joins her and there is an African chant. A song to someone who has lost someone dear to death and picking up the pieces and the grieving process. Ends with a spoken word promise that none of us really dies. Really beautiful song.

I Always Knew- Jem thumbing her nose at those in the music industry who would have kept her down and how she always knew she would one day be where she is. Great juxtaposition between a nursery rhyme kind of rhythm and almost hip-hop bravado lyrics. Music almost has the feel of "They" from her first album.

Got It Good- Another song about just how good life is. Are you start to pick up on the theme of this album?

Aciid- Jem decides on this song to just jam. Great dance beat. Heavy synth drums. Jem chants. Very reminiscent of Tom Tom Club (if you're old enough to remember them).

How Would You Like It?- OK. Back to the heavy stuff here (as in the subject of the song, not the music). Great song about racial prejudice. Basically telling telling racists to stop talking to her assuming she'll agree with just because she's white.

And So I Pray- Facing the troubles of the world, Jem prays for a better day. Wishes she could escape but this is where she is for now. The melody is a little reminiscent of Warren Zevon's Tenderness on the Block

On Top Of the World- opens with a choir humming and the sound of the ocean pounding the shore. Then joined by a piano with another kind of lilting melody. The song has an almost meditative feel and matches the lyrics which are about really being "present" and not letting the little things get you down.

I was enthralled by Jem ever since she released her debut album, "Finally Woken" in 2004. I had her album in rotation constantly. Fast forward four years and she returns with "Down To Earth", an album that's her "It Was Written", an album that is a complete 180 from what she was previously known for. Lyrically, she has matured and has shown so on the songs. And like Nas' "It Was Written", the problem isn't the artist, it's the production.

Among the contributors are Jeff Bass (best known for his work with Eminem), Lester Mendez (best known for his work with Shakira), and Greg Kurstin of The Bird And The Bee. The end result is that it sounds so polished and so slick, it was as if she was making a desperate attempt to become a pop star. While I gave this album a chance and I really wanted to like it, overall it was decent, at best. She has some good songs on here like "I Want You To...", the music industry lament "I Always Knew", and "You Will Make It", her song dedicated to the late Proof of D-12. It's not a bad album, but it's not a great one, either.

So you're pretty much going to see two camps here - those that preferred Finally Woken, and those that prefer Down to Earth. I fall into the latter camp, though I am still quite a fan of FW. The only problem is that her first album felt like a grab-bag of different experiments. Down to Earth is more cohesive, creating an ethereal kind of spacey vibe. I must say that "It's Amazing" is one of the most inspiring and uplifting songs I've heard in a long time. "I Always Knew" is one of those revenge songs you want to play loudly whenever someone is annoying you.

And there you go...another vote for Earth. I think the only thing we're all going to agree on is that Jem has much talent she has yet to explore. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next, and I hope it doesn't take four more years to find out.

Overall Grade: B+
Hilights: Down To Earth, It's Amazing, You Will Make It, I Always Knew, Aciiid!

Jem's sophomore effort lends itself to the same melodic, rhythmic pop tunes as "Finally Woken", but carries a great deal more emotional weight and dramatic tone. Instead of beach music and cute love tunes, "Down To Earth" offers a much louder fusion of genres. "You Will Make It" is her most sensitive song yet, while "Aciiid!" is precisely the trip that it implies. There is a quiet power at work here (it's amazing). This album is a complete effort and quite a listening adventure, worth more than a mention!

This CD is for everyone. My thirty-something daughter introduced me to Jem, and now she is all my husband and I play in the car or at home. Her music is so inspiring, and fun, and up-beat, and thought provoking....and then some! We love Jem and can't wait for her next album !

While watching some videos on Youtube, I came across one which used Jem's "They" as the background music. Up to that point I had never heard of Jem, but was instantly amazed by her beautiful, smooth voice, the depth of her lyrics, and the composition of the instrumental part of her songs. Her songs do, as mentioned by previous contributors, address issues of our times and also celebrate life.
Has anyone heard if there will be another album coming out soon? I am hooked on her music and anxiously await her next album. With that said, I recommend each of Jem's albums to anyone who enjoys quality music by a very beautiful and talented lady. I can't deal with rap, and all the other trash music coming out of the American pop industry these days. At least Jem gives us hope that there are still a few talented artists out there.

This artist has a pleasing voice and her songs are nice to listen to whether in the car or relaxing at home.

I love Jem shes always getting a different vibe though after hearing it many times I need a break from it. Its not as good as the first one but which cd is?