I loved all three of the singles she released :P

 

she's a fellow welshie aswell, so all is good :lol:

Edited January 5, 200718 yr by darren

Her album was pretty good if I remember rightly. I still love Flying High and Save Me. The other album tracks were a bit samey but still good. If her new song is good, I'd probably buy her new album.

I found a (pretty old) review but very well written about Jem and her debut album: ^_^

 

The pop world of music has waited for a female star like Jem to hit the scene. As more and more female musicians and entertainers become more concerned with the artificial qualities rather than actually putting together quality music, we finally have a woman who does things a little differently- in way that is both unique and respectable at the same time. For one, the Wales-born and bred Jem is pure talent- having already contributed her writing ability to Madonna's last single, "Nothing Fails." And if she is good enough to write for the biggest female diva of all time, there is without doubt, talent abound, don't you think? But just calling Jem talented, well, that is simply an understatement.

 

Jem successfully takes various styles of music and incorporates them into her own arrangements. A former club promoter and DJ, one can definitely see where she gets her dance and techno influences from, and she incorporates them into a manner that has not been achieved or mastered before. Her music combines a little bit of everything; you have your singer/songwriter pop elements, acoustic rock, electronic influences, hip-hop, dance and techno beats, plus a little bit of strings for the hell of it. Now, it does sound a little eccentric, but it works, and it sounds like nothing you've heard before.

 

She sings with a certain warmth and sex appeal; an attack from her lips that sounds as if she is seducing you with her voice. Her vocals are sweet, yet strong and they have that late night bedroom whisper feel to them. Couple that with her unbelievably catchy hooks and beats, and you find yourself trapped inside Jem's musical masterpiece not wanting to get out.

 

The opening track "They" is the perfect song to open the album, and it provides the proper introduction to Jem. Right from the start, the listener knows they are in for something a little atypical. The song offers the unique style of music that Jem incorporates from so many genres in an upbeat and jump-start sort of way. The song that really stands out is the frenzied track "24;" with the guitars buzzing around her warm and energized vocals, this song just has that glowing feel to it. This track also exhibits the darker side of Jem with its rather ominous lyrics; "And I can't believe / How I've been wasting my time / In 24 hours they'll be laying flowers on my life / It's over tonight / I'm not messing / No I need your blessing and your promise to live free / Please do it for me."

 

The world of pop divas and mainstream music has waited for the arrival of someone like Jem, her debut album has not disappointed on the grand stage. Finally Woken is catchy enough and has enough pop sensibilities to build a buzz, but it's the inventiveness and ability to take an assortment of styles of music and mix them together to make them sound so good that will have people talking about it for a long time.

 

source

Edited January 9, 200718 yr by Alin

...and another review (especially for those that never heard about her):

 

"Welsh singer Jem (Jemma Griffiths) has it all--an attention-grabbing smooth-as -silk voice, a formidable songwriting skill, and probably the best album you'll hear this year (2004 - my edit). Finally Woken is Jem's debut--and the music industry is already buzzing about this one. While Jem may draw favorable comparisons to Dido, her punchy and infectious pop sound is much closer to the music of Frou Frou and Poe. Mixing all sorts of diverse sounds (including trip-hop, folk, electronica, 70's psychedelic rock, reggae and classical), Jem has boiled all of her influences down to a delicious blend of pop-coolness.

 

Growing up in Wales, Jem began singing and writing songs at the age of thirteen. With her passion for music ever driving her on, Jem decided to finish school and ultimatlely attended Sussex University. While in college, Jem stayed connected to the music scene by working as a club and festival promoter and a DJ agent.

 

Jem studied law at school, but then decided to return to Wales in November of 1999 to hone her craft. After completing a collection of four demos, Jem moved to London and began writing sessions with electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Frou Frou). The song "Nothing Fails"-- which appears as track 6 on Madonna's American Life album--was one of the fruits of Jem's writing labors. Jem then visited Brooklyn and hooked up with hip-hop producer Ge-ology (Mos Def, Talib Kweli) and in autumn 2002 she met her now co-producer Yoad Nevo.

 

Nic Harcourt, the Music Director of influential Los Angeles radio station KCRW 89.9 FM, heard Jem's song "Finally Woken" and began to play the song on the station's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program. Listeners went nuts over it and Jem became one of the most requested artists at the time.

 

A&R guy Bruce Flohr heard Jem, loved her sound, and asked her to sign to Dave Matthews' ATO record label. So, after years of hard work, Jem has finally arrived, and we couldn't be more excited! Finally Woken is such a wonderfully perfect album that to point out all of its strong points would require a review the length of a Tolstoy novel. "They" is the funk-tacular, more-addicting-than-crack opening track that sounds like the end result of a Bach, Outkast, and Sarah McLachlan jam session. "Come on Closer" is a slightly randy little number that starts with a 60's "I Dream of Genie"-like sample and suddenly erupts into an explosin of rump-shaking beats and biting guitars. The easy-breezy "Finally Woken" is so laid-back and carefree that you'd think Jem had grown up in Venice, California rather than Wales. Jack Johnson, watch your back!

 

Jem isn't all fun and games though. In the chilling "24," Jem sings from the perspective of someone who is going to be executed in 24 hours. Without being overly-political, Jem captures the eerie and tense emotions that might run through the convicted's mind. The orchestration in "24" is lush and majestic while the smashing guitar rifts groan in perfect contrast.

 

"Missing You," deserves special mention because Jem has accomplished the difficult task of making a trip-hop/psychedelic piece of music sound sexy, smart, and poignant. This song is a standout and will be on our personal playlist for a long time. Just when things are about to get a bit moody, Jem pops back with the most unlikely and fresh song we've heard in a while, "Wish I." Think "Grease" meets Sheryl Crowe . The island-beat joy of this song is enough to put a huge smile on your face as your order that ticket for the Hawaiian vacation you've been waiting so long to take.

 

Another favorite is the haunted love song, "Falling for You." Again, Jem balances beautiful instrumentation, crystal-clear harmonies and crafty songwriting. "Stay Now" is a quirky and sweet tune featuring therimin, sitar guitar, strings, and subtle beats. We don't know how she makes all of these disparate elements work together, but she does!

 

Without a doubt, Finally Woken is one of those "breath of fresh air" albums that enlivens the music world with its originality, accessibility, and verve. We champion Jem whole-heartedly and recommend her album without reservation."--Justin Elswick

Edited January 9, 200718 yr by Alin