About Me Blogs Articles Disclaimer News ReviewsText Box: Prepare to be surprised, slightly... Much-acclaimed contemporary slow-pop star, James Morrison returns... with another slow, contemporary pop album. The second album is of course a test of an artist- with the ‘Greatest Hits’ out the way, what can they conjure up next time around? Some twist, most stick and Morrison stays firmly in the crowd with ‘Songs for You, Truths for Me’. If you wish for modern soul, progressive guitar riffs and a piano backbeat, then you won’t be disappointed. ‘Please Don’t Stop the Rain’ probably epitomizes this formula more than most. Thoughtful lyrics of course aren’t really applicable here: “This is gonna be a rainy day/There’s nothing we can do to make it change/ we can pray for sunny weather.” Obviously Morrison penned this before this summer’s festivities, but it is an enjoyable if unspectacular effort. ‘Broken Strings’- the duet with Nelly Furtado is a strong track and could well lead to chart success. Showing Furtado’s soulful side, long since abandoned, some might say Morrison takes her back to her roots on this emotive number- the bird will fly free again. It is however ‘Nothing Ever Hurt Like You’ that steals the show. Featuring an old-school funky beat, almost Motown inspired, Morrison’s heartfelt vocals compliment the flow of the music. Clearly James has invested more in production this time out and it works well. ‘Precious Love’, probably inspired by Morrison’s own long-term relationship, features another retro style lesson with classic choir-like backing vocals, big band production and of course his own brand of heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics. It’s catchy and very hummable- a feature of many of his most popular numbers. ‘Fix the World Up for You’ tends to follow in this format, as such Morrison does seem to have moved into a different production direction- if not artistic genre. It’s all very feel-good soul which connects, if not exactly knocking you out your chair, but that is what we’ve come to expect from him. ‘The Only Night’ and ‘Save Yourself’ have most of the aforementioned characteristics and therefore work as better songs on the album but not as stand-out as the others. ‘You Make it Real’ sounds more like déjà vu than anything fresh, it’s one of those songs that you hear and are pretty sure you’ve heard it all before. This is really the only effort that could have come straight off ‘Undiscovered’ and as a result doesn’t really belong on this collection. ‘Once When I was Little’ is just what it sounds like it’s about but doesn’t get anywhere near the good work around it. As an album, it’s classic Morrison and his fans won’t be disappointed- a blow for progression, but a triumph for Radio 2 and easy-listening. 6/10 CM Text Box: Music Albums 2008 James Morrison- Songs for Me, Truths for You