James Vincent McMorrowTrue Care
Faction / Dew Process / Universal

- Pushing further out of the box he built himself into with his first two albums -Early In The Morning and Post Tropical- James Vincent McMorrow surprised us last week with True Care, his fourth studio album; his most technically experimental and honest release to date.

Heavy hitters Beyonce, Radiohead and Frank Ocean have all trod the ‘surprise’ album marketing ploy trail, sending fan bases into meltdown and twitter feeds ablaze. It's an interesting tactic for an artist with a decidedly more modest tribe. According to McMorrow, however, it’s all part of the creative process, explaining in a blog entry that the unexpected release was to ensure his new material is “as fresh to me as it is to you”. Fresh indeed, with the fifteen track LP True Care following up last year’s We Move within ten months. Transparency is McMorrow’s pocket ace, releasing annotated lyrics on his website, allowing peers, fans and critics alike to split him open and peek inside, opening himself to a level of personal scrutiny not often seen in such a subjective medium. This is a far cry from the intentional ambiguity of his earlier release, often tucking truth away behind soaring falsetto and indistinguishable lyrics on Post Tropical.

Glad It’s Raining pops with Elton John inspired keys, while Thank You takes a page from Daft Punk’s book: shining with glittery synth, solid bass grooves and vox effects in the form of a retro vocoder. His signature falsetto is on display too, of course, most notably on cuts Bend Your Knees and Change Of Heart, sending his voice to dizzying heights and reeling it back in with razor sharp precision. 

The transition to True Care from his last album feels a lot less calculated than previous album cycles, as if he’s plunged in with both feet rather than dipping a toe in trepidation. While perhaps lacking the overarching funk and neo-soul vibes of We Move, True Care sheds light on a new side of my favourite Irish crooner: authentic, loose and unencumbered by the simmering anxiety that punctuated his earlier releases. McMorrow relishes his new found freedom, and we reap the rewards.

- Fiona Priddey.

James Vincent McMorrowTrue Care

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