The UK keeps pumping these bad boys out. First James Blunt, Lily Allen, and now this great singer-songwriter is the Brit's answer to Elliott Yamin. Cheesy cover aside, and yes, it is a very cheesy cover, Morrison's debut album is worthy of exposure around here. The lead single, 'You Give Me Something', is sure to get attention, but it's the opener 'Under The Influence' that grabbed my attention from the get-go. Strings, drums and piano make for the greatest Motown record that never was. Try taking Usher's 'Caught Up' and get a soulful singer to belt it out on top of a hand-picked backing band. The result would, of course, be 'Under The Influence'. The lyrics aren't too shabby either; it seems like this guy kne
w exactly what he wanted to say. My favorite thing about the album is that it's not too over-poppy like Lily Allen or Mika. However, this leads to the biggest problem in the album. I think that the album drags on a bit. The slow songs make up the bulk of the album, and the fastest songs are midtempo, wit the exception of 'Under The Influence'. I think that people who are looking for Joss Stone-esque Soul should lean towards the new Amy Winehouse record, which I will review later on. However, that in know way means that you should not think about picking up at least a couple of songs on iTunes. This guy's a great songwriter, and I believe that he's obviously established that in his debut. It's just, y'know, he has to find his niche. Whether that be writing slow ballads or Motown classics-that-never-were, Mr. Morrison will no doubt find success. Number 2 on iTunes Top 100 Albums would be good enough for me. :)Rating: 6.9
Verdict: iTunes
Suggested Tracks: Under The Influence, You Give Me Something, Wonderful World, The Letter
Sample:
James Morrison - You Give Me Something
1 comment:
Well written article.
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