America discovers James Morrison
Published March 16, 2007
I don't know about you, but listening to James Blunt is getting pretty irritating. Although there is no limit to the amount of times I can be told "you're beautiful," there also seems to be no limit to the number of times the radio can play the song in a 24-hour period. I beg to differ with Blunt when he snivels, "I can never be with you," because he is always with me, whether I like it or not.
Sure he has hopes for peace. Sure he's got a falsetto that, by comparison, makes Wayne Newton seem like Barry White. But lately I've been searching for music that doesn't make me want to follow Blunt off the coastal cliff in his "You're Beautiful" video.
Enter James Morrison. He's another James who is scruffily groomed, slim-framed, blue-eyed, musically inclined young lad from the island over the pond, but he has songs that evoke a contagious optimistic passion for life that Blunt's work lacks.
Morrison's debut album, Undiscovered, was released in the summer of 2006 in Britain, where it achieved platinum status. Led by the upbeat on-deck track "You Give Me Something," the record feels reminiscent of years past. Infused with peppy brass punches, lovely string harmonies and even a little strategically placed organ here and there, the record whispers retro but screams right now.
Master crooner Stevie Wonder has had a clear impact on Morrison (Morrison even thanked Wonder in his album-booklet acknowledgements for inspiring him.) Wonder's influence manifests itself most clearly on Morrison's "The Letter" with an ascending electric organ run that gives a nod to the trademark element of Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life."
As strong as Wonder's presence is on "Undiscovered," Morrison separates himself from his muse through the use of his refreshingly distinctive voice.
The chameleon-of-an-instrument residing in Morrison's throat is gruff and aggressive one moment, as on the frustrated "Call the Police," but smooth enough to spread on a bagel in "The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore." The contrast between the two extremes results in 10 distinct tracks that allow different nuances to surface every time they're played.
Morrison utilizes his unique pipes in conjunction with simple, yet catchy, songwriting to make an emotionally available album in Undiscovered. The beautifully harmonized confessional "This Boy," exposes Morrison when he sings, "I'm still here/ But it hasn't been easy/ I'm sure/ That you had your reasons/ I'm scared/ Of all this emotion/ For years I've been holding it down."
Morrison seems to draw upon bottomless-well-of-life experiences for lyrics, making the record both intriguing and relatable. Combined with a powerful voice, the fact that Morrison co-wrote every track also adds to the album's appeal and his credibility as an artist.
Morrison insists on the track "One Last Chance," that he doesn't "wanna be misunderstood/ Got to take this chance and make it into something good." Well, I'd say he's made something very good here, especially for a first crack at it.
I hope Britain's new "famous James" will use his talents as a foundation to make an evolved sophomore effort, but for now, I guess that will just have to be left undiscovered.