James Vincent McMorrow: We Move Vinyl LP

“I grew up wanting to write songs like Neil Young but producer them like The Neptunes,” says James Vincent McMorrow. For his third album, We Move, the Irish singer-songwriter pairs deep, personal lyrics with downtempo & electronic-influenced beats (produced by artists that’s worked w/ Drake, Kanye West, Rihanna, Timbaland and more), which results in an updated, falsetto-ed manifestation of his aforementioned vision. “Rising Water” opens the 10-tracker with a bouncy ‘80s vibe paired w/ emotive, melodic vocals, and “I Lie Awake Every Night” follows with a slower but similarly aching/yearning mood. “Get Low,” produced by 6 God/DVSN/OVO affiliate Nineteen85 really works the low end, a move that opens up a lot of sonic space for JVM’s vocals, and the future r&b-informed “Killer Whales” is another highlight of the LP. Make sure to also check out “Lost Angles,” “Evil,” and “Last Story.”

• music label: Mahogany Books Ltd. 2016

reviewed by donut savage 09/2016