Hint

With the help of Ninja Tune, the tiny Hombré label has helped young Jonathan James drop a couple of ten-inches that have led to his first full-length release, Portakabin Fever. As Hint, James has an ear for songwriting and structures his songs as little pop melodies along the lines of Lemon Jelly. This is apparent within the first child-like piano strikes in the adorable "Actory,” but James can also line-up a funky hip-hop drum break to accompany his own guitar skills in "The Look Up” which has the same Latin funk feel as Tommy Guerrero. James actually shares much in common with Guerrero — he’s a multi-instrumentalist that uses his own musical ability to turn out his one-man compositions, and with great results. Portakbin Fever touches upon a few genres, including upbeat bossa jazz such as "You Little Trooper” and stunning orchestral pieces laced with hip-hop beats such as "Re:percussions.” Given the fact that this is James’ first effort and he’s just 23 years old, you can’t help but get a little excited when imagining his musical potential. With all the slew of artists that Ninja Tune has been roping in over the past year Hint is probably one of the most promising and will connect with the current Ninja fan base the easiest.