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 thats 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 JVMs 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