A few days prior to Jamie T’s biggest ever headline show at Finsbury Park, a celebration of his 17-year career (alongside Idles, Kojey Radical, Biig Piig, Hak Baker and Willie J Healey), he surprise dropped new atmospheric track ‘Hippodrome’.
The new song doesn’t take huge strides away from the sound of Jamie T’s fifth studio album The Theory of Whatever, with its co-producer Olly Burden also having received a producer credit on some of the more minimal tracks (‘The Terror of Lambeth Love’ and ‘Talk is Cheap’) on the 2022 record.
From the opening line, “remember that night at the hippodrome”, the song cements itself as a nostalgic meander through past nights out. In addition to the lyrics, the ascending, floaty strings of the opening verse evoke an almost stereotypical flashback sequence, and the grainy, fragmented style of the accompanying visualiser also works to transport you back in time.
As the track progresses, the incoming relaxed beat, addition of overlaid backing vocals and swiftly delivered lyrics feel more familiar amongst Jamie T’s discography. Drifting through the mundanity of remembered nights out in London’s West End, Jamie T paints a hazy picture embellished by encounters with bouncers, drink, drugs and flickering street lights. Thematically, ‘Hippodrome’ is reminiscent of early tracks such as ‘Calm Down Dearest’, but the nostalgic context and distance from the subject, reflected in the slower, softer pace, gives the track the same maturity we first heard on 2014’s Carry on the Grudge.
Whilst ‘Hippodrome’ speaks from a place of experience, older isn’t necessarily wiser and Jamie T’s charming vulnerability still peeks through in more affecting reflections such as “I’m all love, hatred and stuff”. Similar to a lyric from 2022’s ‘Between the Rocks’, “between the love and hate / watch you pull me apart”, we’re reminded that at 37 years old, he is still grappling with the duality of some of life’s bigger questions and is honest about having not yet found all the answers.
For those most responsive to Jamie T’s anthem tracks such as ‘Sheila’ and ‘Sticks n Stones’, ‘Hippodrome’ doesn’t pack the same punch and may not go big enough to entice a new audience. Even with the song’s sonic climax, the fuller, triumphant ensemble section in the song’s bridge, this won’t be one to soundtrack your biggest nights. However, for fans that have followed Jamie T and grown with him through each hiatus and triumphant return, ‘Hippodrome’, in the best way possible, substitutes the atmosphere of a scrappy night out for that of reminiscing over a pint in the pub with an old friend.
Words by Lena Moss
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.