I was first introduced to James Vincent McMorrow via a recommendation on a blog. I remember that he was touted as someone who wanted to bring a hip hop/R n B sensibility to his folky/singer-songwriter output.
To some degree, I guess, singer-songwriters do have it difficult carving out their niche and making themselves stand out from the crowd. On James Vincent McMorrow’s “Early in the Morning” it’s very much the timbre and cadence of his voice, the instant likeability of the album, the choice of arrangements with voice and instrument, his implicit religious themes, the warmth of his Irish accent and yes a less-pronounced but definite urban feel to the album that makes him different.
This is best evidenced on “We Don’t Eat” – the piano maintains itself on the off-beat, almost like a piece of jazz music, and is used like a drum to keep the pace going. It builds and builds from a soft start to a crescendo of layers of instruments and voice by the second half; the devil is mentioned as well as redemption, faith, saviours and upholding a family commitment of eating together and throughout it all it is McMorrow’s voice which warms the tune, keeps it interesting and unusual. He also talks about two thousand years of history and fishing, which is a Christian trope.
There’s a variety on the album too within the parameters of where McMorrow wants to go with his music – some are soft, some are loud, some have beats, some explode at the end. Obviously there’s no reggae, dubstep or punk, but filters of this music do seep through from time to time.
“If I Had a Boat” is just about the perfect love song – as well as the perfect song for Desert Island Discs. It’s about commitment as well as overcoming injustice and things that stand in your way when you want to find your way back. “If I had a boat/ I would sail to you /Hold you in my arms, ask you to be true … Now I’m pointing north/Hoping for the shore”.
In contrast, where the first song has a clarity and decisiveness to it, “Hear the Noise that Moves So Soft and Low” is delicate and sweet, the lyrics mumbled and almost indecipherable. There is a Bon Iver quality to it (well, “For Emma, Forever Ago” Bon Iver) but this could be me making connections between the falsetto of McMorrow’s vocal. “Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree” has a similar quality – but also feels timeless, or indeed out of time, ephemeral and fey.
“The Sparrow and Wolf” has its roots in disco or dance music – it has an up-tempo beat and tells a tale recalling old fables or parables, discussing elemental forces like the weather, the earth, love, hate and warmth. “You should choose to go, please remember what/ You have learned from the little bird/ Always dear, always dear to my heart”.
“This Old Dark Machine” is perhaps the closest to folk music, opening with McMorrow and a guitar – but McMorrow’s vocal soars at least an octave throughout the song and compels completely with his voice. “Early in the Morning, I’ll Come Calling” invokes the old folk tradition too – the use of rhyme and telling a story, as well as the familar line from many other folk songs, but it is the mandolin-sounding guitar gives it a unique feel, something old reinvented to be something new.
My favourite song is “From the Woods” because of the spine-tingling surprise toward the end of the song where McMorrow ups the tempo, vocal range and volume as if imitating the fear of what is coming from the woods. “And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” is the perfect antidote to all this madness, a beautiful love song that makes you want to hug your beloved and hold them tight.
It is particularly hard to put out an album that sounds different and say something different, but I think James Vincent McMorrow’s “Early in the Morning” does a creditable job of this – it’s extremely listenable, and more importantly relistenable and he has a charming quality to his voice and music and arrangements that leaves you wanting more.
No comments:
Post a Comment