Review Summary: Madchester's boys return to action
Mostly famous for its 'United' football club, Vimto and Oasis, the city of Manchester in the north of England is also the home of alt rock/Britpop group James. Fronted by the charismatic Tim Booth, the band was formed during the early 1980s and since then -apart from a 7 year hiatus- they've recorded 12 studio albums. Having in their armoury singles like "Laid", "Getting Away With It", "Sit Down" and "She's a Star", the Brits have always been considered a special band with interesting music. Is it their music? Their lyrics? Their interaction with audience? I would bet on a combination of all these.
"Frozen Britain" which was a pre-release of the album surely sprang the enthusiasm amongst older fans. With the catchy chorus of "Emily come to bed/make a boy out of me", you can easily visualize the thousands of fans jumping up and down with Booth on a live show. Similarly, the first single "Moving On" is an energetic track with a sorrowful feeling as it portrays Booth's emotions in regards to the loss of his friend. Instrumentally, "Gone Baby Gone" is one of the best songs of the entourage in this LP. The introductory pounding bass lines of Jim Glennie create a positive vibe and along with the melodic guitar notes you would bet this is going to be the most optimistic song ever. However, the contradiction of the lyrics that talk about an ended relationship is what makes this song a highlight here.
The two opening tracks, "Curse Curse" and "Walk Like You" are probably the standouts over this fourty-minute beauty. They are lyrically and instrumentally two very well crafted songs that 'shift the band to new heights' as Glennie noted very correctly in an interview. The former one has the aura of a techno/electronic tune but that surely will not alienate fans; James have a lot of similar tracks in their catalogue. Add to this, the opening scene from the hotel room and the line of Messi who shoots and scores in a Copa del Ray and you have the most descriptive lyrics of the whole album packed in an uplifting four-minute feast. The latter one is both the album's opener and lengthiest song and it concentrates on issues about life and parenting. Davies' violin is on the simplest of forms but give kudos to the man; he is a guitarist.
Apart from being a beautiful track, "Interrogation" is very cleverly slotted in the playlist. What it actually does is slowing the pace of the album and prepares you for the sorrowful side. Simply marvelous. Not because this was not done before, but because the transition is so smooth that very few albums managed to do it so precisely. In this part, the piano dominates and you witness some simple, sweet and humble melodies. Best moment is probably "Quicken The Dead" with "All in My Mind" being an equally adorable track.
James' latest studio album
La Petite Mort -a phrase that translates into 'The Little Death'- was heavily inspired and influenced by the deaths of Tim Booth's mother and a close friend of him. It was produced by Max Dingel who also mixed albums for acts like The Killers, Muse and White Lies. Indeed, it was Dingel's recruitment that proved to be the pivotal point here: James sound refreshed but stay relevant and follow the direction that made them likeable.
