- Label
- Mercury
- Release date
- 7th April 2008
- Genre
- Indie rock
- Buy this album
- Order CD
Mancunian indie veterans prove there's life in the old dog yet
James - a band whose formative years in the Eighties and early Nineties saw enough line-up changes, in-band strife and record label grief to sink even the most determined musicians - have kind of oscillated in and out of vogue, releasing, at fame's peaks, some smash hit singles (Laid, Sit Down, She's A Star) and sulking around in the background during their fallow periods. After a lengthy absence (following lead singer Tim Booth's departure from the band in 2001, some wilderness years, and a reunion and tour in 2007) Hey Ma marks their first album release for seven years - the return to the public eye boosted by some headline-grabbing cover art (yawn) and a lead single about the war on terror.
Like Ghosts and, to a certain extent, The Feeling, James aren't going to be bothered by advances in pop music, and instead look back to the Nineties' indie heydays - whereas, in the past, they've dabbled with electronica and so on, this album is a collection of big, jangly pop-rock songs with a couple of interesting moments. While the album's first half - with single Hey Ma, nice, plodding opener Bubbles, and the piano-led stadium pomp of Boom Boom - dabbles a little too much in cliché and repetition, it's only when you come to the slightly deranged White Boy and crackly U2-esque 72 that you see a glint of innovation. However, it's all done well and with passion.
More to try: Ghosts: The World Is Outside The Feeling: Join With Us
