James - Living In Extraordinary Times
Anyone here old enough to remember baggy and Britpop? Oh, just me then. See, James are a band from Manchester that got lumped in with the likes of the Stone Roses and Oasis, despite predating both and sounding like neither.
On their fifteenth studio album in thirty five years, after seven top ten LPs, it is safe to say that it sounds like no one but James. Theirs is a sound rooted in rock but often driven by a krautrock beat, with no fear of the avant garde but retaining a glorious pop heart. At times, it can be one of the most invigorating, joyful sounds in popular music. This record might not touch the heights of their commercial peak or previous album The Girl At The End of the World but opener Hank and the mighty Better Than That may just be two of the best songs that the band have ever come up with.
For those unfamiliar with James, this is possibly not be the best place to start but there is plenty here to interest a newcomer and more than enough to please the converted.
