Jamison Young is an independent Australian artist who has just completed his new CD "Shifting Sands of a Blue Car".Put this CD in the player, set the computer to the best fractal you have, and just space. Meld into the existentialism of the sounds cascading from the speakers. I was in my imaginary car, dreamily floating down a primal road, watching the clouds of thought and emotion Jamison creates float by. I stuck my hand out the top of the convertible and could almost grab the ephemeral. Suddenly track six, "Soldiers", put the car's wheels on a constantly shifting and swirling road to an unknown and limitless musical horizon. This CD is unique. It has elements of techno, bright and jazzy trumpet , Chris Isaac meets Pink Floyd vocals, subtle yet intricate guitar work, and unbelievable rhythms, all in a mixture that comes across smooth yetengaging. It definitely inspires run on sentences. Explaining the experience of listening to "Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car" is like trying to explain or remember a great yet totally existential dream. The more you try the more it escapes you. The title really works for this album. The American music industry rarely ever allows an artist like Jamison Young to thrive. His music cannot be readily pigeonholed, for it utilizes so many different musical elements and genres. It's not techno, yet there are great samples and beats. It's not jazz or mariachi, yet there are mexi-lectric trumpets that express the emotions of both styles. It isn't pop or rock either, though these basic musical elements flow smoothly like cool cascading water on a hot day. Basically you won't find this CD listed under any of these categories of music. It's listed under its own category. It's a must-have for any collection, even if it's just for the song "Soldiers". "Solar system" and "Island" will transport you to musical enlightenment as well. Whichever musical place you visit while in the "Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car" is worththe visit. My overall experience with this CD was like drinking an electric fruit smoothie while lying in a hammock on the dark side of the moon. "The mirror on the mantlepiece tells me it's time to leave because the soldiers of happiness have gone to sleep" - Jamison Young "Soldiers"

This is a lovely slow drive of an album is the sound of a man just playing his songs, albeit in a post production environment. Frills are not what young is about . The tunes are acoustic guitar based and the beats ,samples and splashes of sound that adorn them serve to complement and confirm his workman like touch ,thankfully not distracting from what is a thouroughly enjoyable set of beautifully crafted songs. The opening track , how far, seems to shuffle on to the stereo, eyes fixed to the floor, as the opening words commence half a bar after an acoustic guitar pluck . But as the chorus opens up ,the whole song shifts subbtly, as if, head lifted ,eyes wide open ,the song itself slips into its own relaxed comfort zone. A feeling that continues throughout the album. With vaugely weary but thoughtful and compassionate lyrics, the songs here are marked by simple but effective melodies and some very catchy choruses Solar System is a highlight. Ethereal and unanchored by standard song structure, it is one of those slightly spooky meanderings which David Bride specialiises in that could just go on and leaves the listener slightly sad when it comes to an end. Soldiers Of Happiness is an unusually upbeat,lilting jamaican style number, all light and dizzy, while Live On A Moon and Steps Beyond are wistful daydreams that float along on seas of string synths ,xylophones,acoustic guitars and roling drum patterns. An atmospheric and inventive recording, Shifting Sands Of A Blue Car is a very real album .strip away the guest musicians and production after thoughts ( all of which add great value ,mind you ) and you have an album of songs sung by a man with his guitar. Which is what will make this album as listenable and penetrating in 10 years time as it is today. Quietly sombre but tantalisingly intimate.

This is quite refreshing. Jamison Young comes from Sydney, Australia andwrites what is best described as electro-folk songs. Jamison's electronicsounds are featured more in the background, which brings out a melancholy feel to the proceedings and compliments his songs nicely. HOW FAR is about escaping from the place that is familiar to you. CRUSH is one of the highlights on the album and is best described as a Dido style chill-out track. TOP OF THE HILL, which is so chilled out, is best heard after a few smokes if only to enhance the amount of space found in thisunique sounding track. SOLDIERS OF HAPPINESS musically is breezy and happy but the lyrics are not. Not many artists would try that and is in fact a brave thing for Jamison to do. LIVE ON A MOON sounds like a Roger Waters out-take from the Pink Floyd album THE WALL. COLD WORLD is another dark piece but thankfully we move away to the melancholic STEPS BEYOND. The music here is sparse and suits Jamison's voice. At times, this turns into a tripper, of the floating kind, album. At times, Jamison reminds me of Beth Orton both musically and vocally. While Jamison might not have the worldąs greatest voice, his approach to his music is interesting and the kind of songs he is producing is not quite similar to what his contemporaries are doing. It will indeed be interesting to see how Jamison will follow this album up but for now enjoy and spread the word. EDF

There is a great imagination at work on shifting sands. Produced by the impeccable Tim Powles , Young has achieved a minor masterpiece in the mould of Badly Drawn Boy or a solo David McComb. There is a lot of space and mood around Young's delicate songs. based around a nylon string guitar, the songs are brought to life by a well rounded studio approach and a swag of quite sad songs. One of the highlights of the album is crush , a languid and lingering affair memories Child wouldn't sound out of place on a Steve Kilbey solo album its linear approach is more poetical than empowering .What Jamison lacks in vocal delivery he makes up for interesting lyrics and clever studio approach. his vocal delivery has a strong effect even in its minimal delivery.Top of the hill is a perfect example of this with some of the verses whispered.there is some wonderful textured programming here. Imagine the Trifords ,the the and Steve Kilbey rolled into one audio companion and thats perhaps one way of describing Jamisons album .Live on a moon is an abstract piece, which veers from the depressing to the queer. The use of occasional trumpet on songs like cold world gives the album an even more interesting inward reflection. There is a dark mood to much of this material, yet some of the production drags a sense of humour from these musical forays. There are a couple of songs here that would sound great on radio and Jamison's voice has a great warmth buttery effect on the sense. Shifting sands of a blue Car is a great first album by a relatively unknown artist, something to be proud of.