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What separates James Morrison from fellow Brit singer/songwriters like James Blunt and Daniel Powter is his taste for soul. Sure, this may have been fostered in part by his fondness for Elton John -- whose presence is as inescapable in Morrison's music as it is in Blunt, Powter, or any number of modern-day pop troubadours -- but Morrison picks up on the splashy soul of John's middle-period, weaving in elements of Stevie Wonder and Van Morrison to create a retro-soul vibe that's more about the song than the groove. This is more true on Songs for You, Truths for Me than it was on his 2007 debut Undiscovered, as he piles on horn sections, sings with a gruff studied soulfulness, and even cribs from Van's "Crazy Love" on his own "Precious Love." All this soulman posturing can come across as a bit too earnest, but it does give Morrison a heft and measure of grit missing in the simpering Blunt, which lends Songs for You some pleasing sonic textures not all that dissimilar to John Mayer's Continuum, but Morrison isn't just about sound, he can construct good pop songs, especially when he goes for big, bright hooks, as he does on the '70s soul pastiche "Save Yourself" and "The Only Night," which recalls Elvis Costello in his Get Happy! phase. These talents kind of contradict the soul-baring promise of the album's title, but Morrison kind of drags when he gets into ballad territory, like the Nelly Furtado duet "Broken Strings." He's better on easy rolling numbers like "Please Don't Stop the Rain" or when he puts a bit of a kick in the tempo, as the energy accentuates his popcraft, which is more energetic, forceful -- and, yes, soulful -- than his peers, something that comes into sharp relief on this solid sophomore affair.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Martin Terefe, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kristoffer Sonne, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dyre Gormsen, Unknown, Other - James Morrison, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Jose-Raul Varonay, Unknown, Other - Amaury Perez, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Joaquin Betancourt, Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Nikolaj Torp, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Alexander Abreu, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - José Luis (Chewy) Hernández, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Wayne Hector, ComposerLyricist - Chris Braide, ComposerLyricist - Steve Robson, Producer, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Luke Potashnick, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Elliott, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - The London Session Orchestra, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonathan Shakhovskoy, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rita Ora, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Ayak Thiik, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Alex Smith, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - David Daniels, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Ash Soan, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Perry Montague-Mason, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Barry, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Mark Taylor, Producer, String Arranger, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Emlyn Singleton, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Bruce White, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Donovan Blackwood, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Michael Paul Barry, ComposerLyricist - Adam Philips, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Ash Howes, Producer, Additional Producer - Ryan Tedder, Producer, Engineer, Piano, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Fisher, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Neil Tucker, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seton Daunt, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dougal Lott, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Hagen, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jeremy McCoy, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Richard Woodcraft, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Helen Atkinson, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Rob Haggett, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nikolaj Torp, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Giuseppe Salvadori, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Colin Heldt, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Alex Smith, Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Nina Woodford, ComposerLyricist - Ash Soan, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nelly Furtado, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ren Swan, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Taylor, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Adam Phillips, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Fraser T. Smith, ComposerLyricist - James Morrison, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Naweed Ahmed, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joao Nazario, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Alex Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ash Soan, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ren Swan, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Barry, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Mark Taylor, Producer, Keyboards, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Adam Phillips, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Neil Sidwell, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - John Thirkell, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dan Wilson, Piano, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kristin Wilkinson, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Terefe, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - DAVID DAVIDSON, String Arranger, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - David Angell, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - John Catchings, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Kristoffer Sonne, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dyre Gormsen, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Iain Hill, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Baeho "Bobby" Shin, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Luigi Mazzochi, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - John Shanks, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Lars Fox, Unknown, Other - Shari Sutcliffe, Unknown, Other - Jeff Rothschild, Drums, Unknown, Other, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Judge, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Emma Kummrow, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Gregory Teperman, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Maxine Waters, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - James Morrison, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Igor Szwec, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Parker, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Ruth Frazier, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Ghislaine Fleischmann, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Jennie Lorenzo, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Farr, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Julia Waters, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - H.S. Alexandra Leem, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Gallagher, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Jarosz, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Gregory Riley, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Larry S. Gold, Strings, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Steve Robson, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Martin Brammer, ComposerLyricist - Karl Brazil, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Elliott, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - The London Session Orchestra, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonathan Shakhovskoy, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Steve Robson, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Luke Potashnick, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Brammer, ComposerLyricist - Karl Brazil, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Flack, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Beard, Hammond Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonathan Shakhovskoy, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andy Ross, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Dominic Glover, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Rita Ora, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mat Colman, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
DAVID DAVIDSON, Violin, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - David Angell, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Monisa Angell, Viola, AssociatedPerformer - John Catchings, Cello, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Shin, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Eg White, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Moog Bass, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Francis White, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Steve Robson, Producer, Glockenspiel, Percussion, Piano, Melodica, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Luke Potashnick, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Martin Brammer, ComposerLyricist - Richard Flack, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Arnulf Lindner, Cello, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Tom Elmhirst, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - James Morrison, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Jonathan Shakhovskoy, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dan Parry, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Dan Wilson, ComposerLyricist - Mike Stevens, Producer - Martin Terefe, ComposerLyricist - Matt White, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - James Morrison, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Naweed Ahmed, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Richard Cardwell, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Richard Milner, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Webb, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Beverley Brown, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Mark Arciero, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Lauraine McIntosh, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Albumbeschreibung
What separates James Morrison from fellow Brit singer/songwriters like James Blunt and Daniel Powter is his taste for soul. Sure, this may have been fostered in part by his fondness for Elton John -- whose presence is as inescapable in Morrison's music as it is in Blunt, Powter, or any number of modern-day pop troubadours -- but Morrison picks up on the splashy soul of John's middle-period, weaving in elements of Stevie Wonder and Van Morrison to create a retro-soul vibe that's more about the song than the groove. This is more true on Songs for You, Truths for Me than it was on his 2007 debut Undiscovered, as he piles on horn sections, sings with a gruff studied soulfulness, and even cribs from Van's "Crazy Love" on his own "Precious Love." All this soulman posturing can come across as a bit too earnest, but it does give Morrison a heft and measure of grit missing in the simpering Blunt, which lends Songs for You some pleasing sonic textures not all that dissimilar to John Mayer's Continuum, but Morrison isn't just about sound, he can construct good pop songs, especially when he goes for big, bright hooks, as he does on the '70s soul pastiche "Save Yourself" and "The Only Night," which recalls Elvis Costello in his Get Happy! phase. These talents kind of contradict the soul-baring promise of the album's title, but Morrison kind of drags when he gets into ballad territory, like the Nelly Furtado duet "Broken Strings." He's better on easy rolling numbers like "Please Don't Stop the Rain" or when he puts a bit of a kick in the tempo, as the energy accentuates his popcraft, which is more energetic, forceful -- and, yes, soulful -- than his peers, something that comes into sharp relief on this solid sophomore affair.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:50:36
- Main artists: James Morrison
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Polydor Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK) ℗ 2008 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
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