Review: James Vincent McMorrow – Early in the Morning

Early in the Morning is the beautifully intimate debut album of James Vincent McMorrow. If soothing melodies of gentle folk and arguably the inner workings of a true artist appeal to you, I wholly recommend you listen to this album.

In the wake of artists such as Bon Iver and Mumford and Sons, who are arguably responsible for the return of folk music to the mainstream spectrum, there is not a lot on paper that sets this Irish singer-songwriter apart. In fact, for someone who has never heard the album, it is hard to describe what it is that encapsulates me on every listen. Perhaps it is the sincere and heartfelt lyrics that enchant ‘If I Had a Boat’, or the intricate, yet dissonant falsetto harmonies that really shouldn’t work in ‘This Old Dark Machine’ that create such an astounding album. All I know is, when the album finishes, I just want to start it again.

What possibly makes this record all the more impressive and strikingly honest, are the conditions under which it was created. Similarly to Bon Iver, McMorrow locked himself away in his seaside home for the months it took to write and record it. Absolutely everything you hear in album is his work. All the instruments, the beautiful and haunting harmonies and the general production of the record are all a result of Mcmorrow’s efforts. I know as a music student this shouldn’t change the way I listen to it, or change my opinion of the actual music. But it just does. Having said all of this, the album maybe isn’t for everyone. Tracks like ‘If I Had A Boat’, though arguably one of the best songs on the album, can require a ample amount of patience to listen to with its spacious structure, long introduction, and only musical peak erupting right at the end. This however is the worst thing I can say about the entire album.

His UK tour starts in January next year, so hurry up and fall in love with this humbling debut album, and grab yourselves some tickets. If you don’t I might accidentally buy them all myself.