- Bryon Harris
Jimmy Maddon - 'The Real Me'
Review by Sylvie Marie & Staff
Glam/prog rock and roller Jimmy Maddon has the look, and the music, of an artist who both creates and performs his vision. Wearing 3 inch platform shoes, tight leather pants and a face full of make up, Maddon's black and white fingernails run up and down the guitar that he plays with a 5 pence coin (in lieu of a plectrum) while his multi-octave vocal range brings the house down. Maddon has garnered acclaim across the world with his live performances. He has toured Australia, England, Wales, Indonesia and Thailand. His second recent single, "The Real Me", is a game-changer for Maddon.
Jimmy Maddon's "The Real Me" commences with an energetic and confident beat along a swirl of electronic ambiance and a melodic and soulful electric guitar motif. Jimmy enters the first verse singing, "I caught you talking to the real me. Can't tell you how unhappy that shit makes me. Next time you see him leave him be." Maddon's vocal performance is an amalgamation of pop, punk, and theater that is captivating. You can't take your ears off Jimmy. And for a performer who is known for wearing extravagant costumes and putting on a grand show, the fact that Maddon's music also mesmerizes the eyes and the ears is a double treat. In addition to singing, the multi-talented artist plays guitar and percussion on the track. Karl Frederick is on bass and drums.
As the head bopping song moves forward, the rock n' roll landscape holds a steady rhythmic pulse through the first two verses. The song then takes a surprising and engaging turn as the pulse slows down and Jimmy enters a state of vocal mystery, a bit more Bowie, that reflects his inner flamboyant, costume-wearing persona before returning back to the lounge where he stays in costume. The show is coming to end, but the beat picks up again, in the verses that follow.
"The house lights go up and the crowd erupts Everything went like it should Rock star sinks back into lounge lizard state Flamboyant costume remain"
Reminiscent of Freddie Mercury who was a true showman and wore his fair share of great stage costumes and makeup, the song references the rock band Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May. "This song was supposed to stay between Brian May and me." As many know, Freddie Mercury kept a small circle of true friends who really know the real Freddie.
The lyric writing in "The Real Me" is outstanding as Maddon explores the duality of an outer persona and the person behind the costume, the extrovert and the introvert. Maddon is also talking about the walls we build around us and what it feels like to have someone see through those walls. "I ask her to stop as the sunlight emerges. The rock star's been killed, the guitar case is closed."
Jimmy Maddon's "The Real Me" is a fascinating song that combines rock with drama. Through his lyrics and performance, Maddon somehow takes the walls down, to a place of vulnerability, while managing to keep listeners hooked on the "real" artist making the music. In "The Real Me", Maddon shows that he has real talent to burn and that the real Maddon is the vibrant musical energy and theatrical soul that is his music and performance.
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