Album review: Jamie Lenman – Puke

In the past decade, Jamie Lenman has gone where the muse takes him. Sometimes, on Devolver [2017] and The Athiest [2022], the destination is a rewarding one. Other times, as with Shuffle [2019] — a moodboard of an album comprising his influences in music and literature — he goes off-piste and exhibits a wilful disregard for commercial success.

That’s okay, though, as he’s always had a loyal fanbase committed to following him wherever his creativity goes. A fanbase he’s leant into by introducing a fan club on Patreon, in lieu of the more rigorous touring and release schedule he stepped away from in 2024. It was within this community that Jamie first shared the song Not Likely, with its popularity under a pay-what-you-want model leading to more music. The resulting record is Puke, eight tracks swiftly put together and with minimal takes.

The rest of Puke is as embittered as Not Likely, though as I’m A C**t suggests, Jamie’s critical lens is often pressed forcibly against his own temple. On Aurora Borealis, he screams ‘What’s wrong with me?’ in between spoken word verses in which he lists the many things others seem obsessed with that he’s not a fan of – Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, coffee, the titular Northern Lights – before wondering aloud if it’s because he’s missing something. It’s effectively an episode of Grumpy Old Men soundtracked by Nirvana’s Bleach.

In answer to Jamie’s question, he is missing something on Puke. While it’s thrilling to hear him with his blood up on Sledgehammer and Every Second Is Gold, eight tracks of it is too much of a good thing. You can’t help but miss his lusher songwriting, that sophistication, that peerless ear for melody, those pop hooks embracing equally irresistible riffs.

But Puke is what his fans have told him they want to hear. It would appear his muse has been replaced by his stakeholders. ‘Throat clear’ might have been a more appropriate title for this record, then, as for all its savagery, it is slight and undercooked in comparison with the sky high standards Jamie has set elsewhere.

Verdict: 2/5

For fans of: Frank Turner, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Haggard Cat

Puke is released on August 6 via Bandcamp.