The first new album I have
listened to this year was James Vincent McMorrow’s Post Tropical. You know it’s going to be a great year for music
when the first album you hear is wonderful. The record jumps right into James’
airy musing voice backed by a low keyboard. As the song “Cavalier” opens up,
the more layers blossom and shows the listener that this record will have even
more to offer than the previous album. The impressively high, flourishing
falsetto sings out “I remember my first love”, while embedded into layered
backing vocals and distinguished horns.
The Irish singer/songwriter
offers more than the traditional guitar and piano cuts like the last record. Some
songs even feature the mandolin, often sounding like a wind chime, in a
heavenly fashion. “Red Dust” is a track that sounds so vast with the piano
being wrapped inside of claps and bass kicks. The numerous layers of this
record are so passionate from every beat of a drum to the whirring of James’
layered harmonies that feel almost infinite. Post Tropical is a satisfying balance between real instrumentation
(most of which played by James himself) and electronic instrumentation. Post Tropical is a smooth, nostalgic, self-reflective record that
submerses you in such a range of sounds that grasp our emotions. Start to
finish this is a record I could not help but be invested in.
Favorite Tracks: “Gold”, “Cavalier”,
“Outside, Digging”
By: David Savage
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