On a mission to discover some new tunes, I set out on a sunny Sunday afternoon to begin my quest. I was not to return until I found something worth reviewing, though I had just bought Janet’s Damita Jo and Usher’s Confessions, both being okay CDs in their own rights. I was left wanting more, so I decided to hit the used CD stores. I went from Reckless Records in Bucktown to 2^nd Hand Tunes in Evanston and every used CD store in between. Three hours later my quest was looking fruitless – I was still empty-handed.

On a last attempt I did a u-turn and headed for Tower Records where I found this diamond in the rough tucked away in the back on the listening station. No posters, no huge, life-sized cutouts – just Jem’s Finally Awoken. It was my lucky day; Jem was $9.99. Music this good should cost more. Nonetheless I forked over my $10.86, headed for my car and turned up the volume.

It was interesting to watch people walking down the street break into a head-bob and a melodic stroll, then turn to see where the familiar groove was coming from. Completely entranced, it took me a second to recognize it – Jem had cleverly weaved Bach’s "Prelude in F-Minor" into the first track, "They". I was sold!!! Best ten dollars I’ve spent in awhile.

On doing a little research I learned Jem was signed to ATO label by Dave Matthews and she co-wrote "Nothing Fails" with Madonna. I knew this girl came from good artistic breeding. Jem – full name, Jemma Griffith – is a U.K. import and former deejay, which paid off because Finally Awoken is an underground masterpiece. Spinning like a set of seamless turntables, mixing classical, folk, trip-hop and electronica, Finally Awoken is something from the new era of music. Jem is a gifted songwriter with composition that fuses raw and beauty together like never before. This CD is solid and a debut with impact. Jem is a name to remember.