James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning

Okay, so he cites Joan Baez, Sufjan Stevens and Otis Redding as influences. He's been invited to perform with the likes of Bon Iver and Tracy Chapman. But last March the release of Dublin man James Vincent McMorrow's Early in the Morning debut album went largely unnoticed - and I guess in a world where the strongest Irish folk export over the past decade was that Glen Hansard song, this was to be somewhat expected. Another of my "ooh he's quite good" observations whilst watching Later... With Jools Holland a couple of weeks back (his TV debut), he's also been picking up attention in the form of Bon Iver and Ray LaMontagne comparisons: pretty high praise indeed.

The album begins with the kind of falsetto-breathiness of Justin Vernon so I can sort-of see the comparisons: 'If I Had A Boat' is a slice of 60s Motown brought down to earth with picturesque guitar twangs and slow, circling percussions. However all such theatricality is used sparingly throughout the album and for me that's a bit of a shame, because whilst 'Hear the Noise That Moves So Soft and Low' has some nice vocals and melodic pieces there's a nagging feeling that it's all been done before.

'Sparrow and the Wolf' is perfectly aimed towards the fans of Mumford and Sons with a quick banjo tune (that's a little bit similar to 'Little Lion Man', admittedly) but with greater emphasis on McMorrow's resplendant vocals: "so store up your hate, use it for warmth when you're cold". 'Breaking Hearts' could pass for a Johnny Cash cover with its dark background and self-flaggelatory lyrics, lightening the mood a shade with some chirpy piano keys. The piano intro to 'We Don't Eat' sounds dreadfully familiar (I'm thinking along the lines of Snow Patrol, Coldplay) and indeed the track is in the same mellow-but-sweet category as these bands, which is always a good thing for me.

On 'This Old Dark Machine' the country-western guitars return, with what I'd interpret as the tale of a carcrash containing two young lovers ("They'll remember us forever/ they'll remember where we fell") and it's probably one of the most interesting tracks lyrically. 'Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree', by contrast, is almost too quiet - a creepy siren's beckoning to your 'names get carved' - but is much too short and uneventful to have any real impact. The same fate befalls 'Down the Burning Ropes', although a final verse about trying to clean up your own murder makes for an interesting tale.

Such dark themes continue - "I taste the sulfur on my breath/ I see the blood pool on the step/ The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh" - in 'From the Woods!!', with an ending that'll probably surprise you. A tune not too dissimilar to the Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris' should give a good indication of the soppy-sweet nature of 'And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop', which mourns the country ("I once was fooled by cadillacs and honey/ but noone feels like you") to endearing effect. The final track makes use of harmonies that Fleet Foxes would be proud to boast - 'Early In the Morning, I'll Come Calling' being a sweetly simple vow to make an effort for a date.


Bit of a romantic one, this one. Whilst there are moments when the tentative whispers and subtle croons can become a little tiresome, they're surrounded by moments of genuine excitement and fun. The themes are a little bit cliché (eternal love, urban boy misses the country...) which again could prove a slight downfall but again there are redemptive qualities about the lyrics, the harmonies and McMorrow's voice itself. I guess you could pin this under a very large folder of "nice but not amazing"s.

Rating: 7/10
Highlights: We Don't Eat, This Old Dark Machine, Sparrow and the Wolf, If I Had a Boat, And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop
Avoid: n/a, though there is some filler.
Artwork Watch: It's all blurry and distorted and sandy...ooh... *forgets instantly*