Early In The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow

It was middle of the night while I was blog hopping while listening to some random albums that I had just downloaded few days ago. Out of sudden, a calming voice with its mournful tunes of music chilled my spines. It had been long that a song actually gave me goosebumps. Nonetheless, it was James Vincent McMorrow with his ever haunting voice. By the way, the song is “Follow you down to the red oak tree”. A very beautiful, calming and haunting track. Mournful in a way but not depressive.

Ireland! The country that has been producing some of the most remarkable singers for the world to hear. James Vincent McMorrow is officially one of them. I like to think that McMorrow is kind of a fill up for the dry spell of Damien Rice. Yet again, McMorrow do not make you feel like hanging yourself. McMorrow music is lighter and cheerful than Damien Rice dark and depressive tunes.

Early In The Morning, is a dreamy, calming and smooth folk pop album. Something like Bon Iver or Iron and Wine kind of music. But it is a little bit dark tone than Bon Iver and warmth than Iron and Wine. I also found that the way McMorrow sings actually reminds me of Bret Dennen. For the lack of vocabulary to describe it just go and listen their songs.

The opening track “If I had a boat” should manage to give the listener an idea of how the album is going to sound like. Boat is upbeat yet gentle in a way that it offered warmth and softness. Drifting in between the line of folksy ballad and pop. A deadly combination. Boat is absolutely amazing. 

"Hear the things that moves so soft and slow” a mouthful for song titles don’t you thinks? But just like the song title goes, the harmony of this track is gorgeous. The banjo rifting with McMorrow smokey-almost-non-existent vocal; the track is hypnotizing. “Sparrow and the Wolf” is all about folk music. There is no doubt about that. Period. An upbeat tunes, again a combination of folk and pop.

“Breaking heart” obviously this song sings about the lost love and that he had been in this sorrowful time far too long. A love that never reciprocated. “Cause I have been breaking heart far too long", loving you far too long” The lyric just keep on repeating itself like far too long.

“We Don’t Eat” was driven by pianos. One of them was very distinctive as it only has one tone throughout the whole song. The song is kind of dark, all hopes had lost. Drifting aimlessly, desperately finding a way to dock yet at the same time screaming whether all these effort are worth it. Perhaps give up would be a better choice.

“This Old Dark Machine” might be the peppiest song in the whole album. I just can’t help but to snap my finger and move my shoulders while listening to this song. “Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree” like I mentioned earlier. It was one of the highlight of the album. The melodies and the slurred vocals of McMorrow just complement each other perfectly. One of the best tracks of the year.

“Down the Burning Ropes” definitely brings out the best of McMorrow singing techniques. He was simply amazing in this song. His talent is undeniable. If one does, he/she should be stoned to death. No kidding!

“From the Woods” somehow for this song I have this character in my mind. He is kind of like a hunter, hunting for bears as the song suggested it. But it was more like a symbolic thing. It is more like love than a bear to me. However, just like a wild bear, love is never tame. It is a wild thing. He tried to tamed it and succeed but with a price. “I taste the sulfur on my breath, I see the blood pool on the step. The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh. And all is well....”

“And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” as the song title suggest this is a love song. A hide and seek love I think. Not so blunt by saying “I love you” right smack at the face. Where the fun of this? The song is more like “I love you. Do you know that? No, you don’t notice it do you? Well, I love you and I will be here waiting for you.”

“Early in the morning, I’ll come calling” The perfect track to end this album. The identical title does give a vibe of completeness. It was a very folksy track. The banjo was so significant and fresh.

Early in The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow is truly one of the finest albums I have listened this year. The album is so fluid to listen to. Flawless. One of the best albums in years to come.

 

Early In The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow

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Don your suit of lights by The Mostar Diving Club

Don Your Suit of Lights is kind of like an oxygen tank. It gave me a whole new breathe during my music dry spell. It was like the first breathe out from water. Something that totally shaken me up. I was first introduced to Vagabonds and Clowns when I was watching Grey’s Anatomy. After months of google-ing finally I stumble upon a source for the complete album. It was like Christopher Columbus discovered America. The Mostar Diving Club is the solo project by Damian Katkhuda. This is his debut solo album which was actually an outlet for him to do some of his quirky and unconventional tunes. A chance for him to experiment with different instruments. Don Your Suit of Lights is a drowsy, folksier album which act as a medium for him to story tell. 

The album starts of with “With His New Amour”, a very lullaby track; drowsy and mellow. The echo of the piano which sounded like far away accompany with the cello and Katkhuda vocals. It gave me this vibes that this song is somewhat a memory. Vagabonds and Clowns is a very quirky yet gripping track. Some where in the middle it was a bit froggy. Yes, froggy…I just keep on having this image in my mind where the frog is singing this song. Too much cartoons when I was still a child I guess. Then, The Medicine Show came along, a peppier track unlike the rest of the songs. Childishly simple but delightful piano, and even a smattering of banjo picking here and there.

The Honey Tree is another good summery track. However, I do found that the beginning of the track have a bit similarity with Zee Avi’s Bitter Heart. Like Bitter Heart, Honey Tree also offered a kind of buoyancy to the track. Katkhuda shows his quirkiness again in this track with the cricket-sound-alike noise in the background of the track. It does brings a grin onto the face. Ghost Train Arpeggio is a full instrumental track lasted just a little bit over 1.30mins. Tricky Hands and Radios starts with a melodious ukulele tunes then it realm into something more circus-ish tunes.

Don Your Suit of Lights is a very blissful album. It is fascinating too. The whole album screams feeling. You can’t help but wonder how come others album don’t make you feel like how this album does. Now and then, when you pick it up and listen to it. The feeling is still there. It won’t like other albums that the feeling eventually wear off. This album linger.

Don your suit of lights by The Mostar Diving Club

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The Devil and I by Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf is the alter ego of multi-instrumentalist Paul Marshall. The Devil and I was released on May 17th 2010. The more I listen to this album the more I think the entertainment industry that is so focused on money milking is too fucked up. This album is so incredible yet it lack of the publicity it needed. The Devil and I are unlike any album one used to listen too. Its lyrics often venture into a very dark side of humanity at the same time reminds as beautiful as possible. The album has very rich musicals and lyrics which oozes melodic melancholy. It also sounds very large and magnificent with orchestral moments.

Lone Wolf is a musician that sings about death and murder. His often tells his story in a darker side. If Taylor Swift music if fairy tales like, Lone Wolf music is like the witch in the fairy tales, poisoning Snow White with the apple and watch her died in agony, slowly. It may sound creepy and distorted. But, until you listen to this album you have no right to dismiss this album. I dare said if there is a real award for the best music of the year; this album is going to be the top 10 album of the year. There is no way this album won’t make it.

The opening track This Is War definitely definitely is one of the stands out track. The song keep on building up throughout the whole duration. The song lurks around the dark and troubled music tone. However, it also emotes Lone Wolf confidence in this track. The climatic trumpet at the midway of the song is incredible. It’s a turning point for the song. Keep Your Eyes on The Road definitely shows how great Marshall is with the guitar. Likewise, the song keep on climaxing and mid-way through it totally blow people off. That is what I called eargasm. 

 We Could Use Your Blood, venture into a more simplify and clean and melancholy tone. Marshall guitar skills shine in this track. It also shows his prowess vocal able to deliver unaffected. Coco Chanel once said, Less is More. Perhaps, in music it is the same. Just like We Could Use Your Blood, 15 Letters is a very bloody, murderous, simple and clean track.  “She lead me down the garden path and bled me dry, dry.”/ “She buried me in the churchyard where she wed me long ago.”   The song kind of telling a story of a dead man killed by his wife which his wife is trying very hard to try to forget him. Another song, Devil River also fall into the less is more category. These 3 are very affecting songs. Maybe because it sounded more raw and real since it is less complicated than others.

The Devil and I (part 1) is a full instrumental track. The piano carries the melody throughout. Somewhere in the middle of the track, along came cello to join the symphony. A very mournful track nonetheless. The Devil and I (part 2) is kind of like a continuation from 15 Letters. Its lyric goes something like this “The devil and I were alone in my house last night/He laughed at my joke, struck a match, burned the place to the ground. Never before in my life have I sifted through ashes so fine, To find that my live was all gone, now just pain was all mine.”  It is a very depressing song. The persona rather die in the end. “And my friends have all thrown me a line, but I'd rather go down with my vessel.”

The Devil and I, stirring up an atmosphere of emotive intensity that resonates with Marshall's confessional presence rather than obscures it. He definitely skillful way with words and of course music, masterfully making heartbreak a matter of life and death. The album is consistently good throughout the whole time. It is excellent.

 

The Devil and I by Lone Wolf

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Beat The Devil’s Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Released on March 2010, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo is BRMC sixth album since the band formed in 1998. Though BRMC is influenced by classic rock, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo offered more than just another typical rock album. It is rather inspiring, charging while stomping hard occasionally with a hint of  tribal influences causing one to have a desire to do a tribal dance beside a giant bonfire. At some point, it seems like we are being transported back into the eighties where classic rock is at it’s peak. Sitting at the neon lighted bar gulping down ice-cold beer, savouring the linger taste of tobacco. Just chilling after a long-day ravaging the highway with a superbike. Biking aimlessly. This is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

With the opening track, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo definitely would captivate anyone. It’s just so hard to not continues to listen to it. Conscience Killer and Bad Blood were some sort like a reminisce of the past few albums. The former have a full energy bust from the beginning. However, from Bad Blood onwards the album kind of take a turn towards greatness. War Machines is pretty impressive. The white noise and the scornful music and lyric is a very dynamic match.  Sweet Feeling, The Toll and Long Way Down are leaning toward a more folksy-bluesy-lazy jams. 'Evol', the album's mid-point which actually is “love'” spelled backward. Well, no surprise here as the song sang about love.

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo might be a bit different with the previous album by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club but nonetheless BRMC still proved that they are still in the game. 

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

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