The UK male singer songwriter scene is not what it used to be, thanks partly to the dreary output of Blunt and co. What was once open heart surgery is now the soundtrack for spring cleaning.
Paolo Nutini’s recent effort brought a glimmer of hope, only for the flame to grow dimmer as the album progressed. And now here we have James Morrison taking up the torch, a bashful 21 year old who cites heavyweight soul icons Al Green and Otis Redding as his primary influences and looks like Chris Martin’s reclusive brother.
Morrison was recently snapped up by Polydor after a series of impressive live performances and is currently riding high in the charts with the bittersweet ballad ‘You Give Me Something’.
They say:
Q: “Approach with wonder.”
Uncut: “On the whole this is an overbearingly polite album.”
We say:
When Joss Stone’s soulful voice came on our radios for the first time in 2003 no one could quite believe its owner was a white kid from Devon.
Likewise, Morrison possesses the kind of husky voice that will have you conjuring up visions of Otis Redding and Van Morrison (no relation). Perhaps even a tobacco agent with a mouthful of phlegm.
However, not even the voice of Orpheus could hide the fact that Morrison’s songs are drowning in a pool of inoffensiveness and sloppy barroom drivel. He needs a set of balls like Ronaldo needs a treadmill.
Ed Harcourt producer Martin Terefe is the real star of the show here, surrounding Morrison’s vocals and languid acoustic guitar with punches of brass (‘How Come’), lush strings (‘The Rain Must Fall’) and a gospel choir (‘This Boy’). But he’s fighting a losing battle.
Still, your teenage daughter or sister will think Morrison is “gorgeous” and your mother will say he’s “lovely.” God, Dylan’s new album can’t come soon enough.
Like this? Try these:
Otis Redding – The Soul Album
Paolo Nutini – These Streets
Van Morrison – The Best of Van Morrison
RELEASED
31st July 2006
LABEL
Polydor
POSTED...
Thu 27 Jul 2006 at 7:58pm
