TOMORROW SEES the much anticipated release of James Vincent McMorrow’s second album Post Tropical, with the Dubliner also heading west to play Galway city later this month.
McMorrow, whose soulful, falsetto vocals, and warm, intimate indie-folk sound captivated both the public and critics on his debut Early In The Morning, will play a ‘Róisín Dubh presents...’ concert in Seapoint Ballroom, Salthill, on Thursday January 30 at 8pm.
The songs which make up Post Tropical began life on a pecan farm half a mile from the Mexican border, in rooms where the low frequencies of passing freight trains vibrated in the studio, briefly disturbing the birds in the rafters. The songs also promise to be something of a departure from the singer-songwriter’s previous work.
“I’m so proud of Early In The Morning, but I never longed to be a guy with a guitar,” McMorrow said. “You play these songs live as best you can, and suddenly you’re a folk musician. But the texture of this record is completely different. This is the kind of stuff I actually listen to. I wanted to give this record the feel and movement of the hip-hop records I love.”
Album opener ‘Cavalier’ builds quietly from hushed keys and hand-claps to soaring brass, drums, and McMorrow’s falsetto. Across the album 808 drum machines, looped piano, and sound effects can be heard. Interestingly, none of the album was written on guitar.
“Post Tropical evokes a style of music without you having a clue what it sounds like,” says McMorrow. “It’s warm and familiar, but there’s something there that’s maybe not quite what you think it is. I just wanted to make the most beautiful thing that I could imagine. And that was it.”
Post Tropical also features a quirky album cover - a ‘wish-you-were-here postcard’ juxtaposing a palm tree with a polar bear.
Tickets are available at www.roisindubh.net, the Ticket Desk at OMG Zhivago, Shop Street, and The Róisín Dubh.
