Album Review: James Morrison – Fight Another Day
2 min read
James Morrison is a name synonymous with the English Folk/Singer-Songwriter revival of the early 2000s. His soaring debut single You Give Me Something and the accompanying album Undiscovered in 2006 launched Morrison into the limelight, and what followed was a string of great successes and chart-climbing collaborations with the likes of Olly Murs, and Kelly Clarkson, and Nelly Furtado, the latter of whom his sang with on top ten hit Broken Strings. Now, nearly twenty years into his career and after a series of personal tragedies, Morrison has returned with sixth studio album Fight Another Day.
The opener and title track is a surprisingly uplifting tune, Morrison saying to the subject of the song that he ‘sees the storm behind your eyes; you’ve got to let it go’, before the powerful chorus launches in. His gritty vocals sell the gravitas, the bridge especially benefitting from his timbre. Following song Save a Place For Me uses a similar structure but has a piano and clap-stomp base that calls back to an earlier sound. The Man Who Can’t Be Loved takes the sound one step further, stripping back everything to leave Morrison’s voice out in the open. It’s a heart-wrenching ballad, complete with a backing choir. Cry Your Tears On Me and Little Wings both bring the groove in, the former a driving indie banger while the latter swings along with Stevie Wonder-esc harmonica and euphoric backing vocals.
Something I Can’t Forget is a brooding mid-tempo ballad that oozes passion, while Slow Heart Attack plays out like a mid-70s Jackson Browne tune with its pulsing drums and subtle vocal harmonies. Silver Lining has a grand intro, Morrison embracing his pop side with a warbly ad-lib, that transforms into a slick piece of piano pop. Hopeful and uplifting, it’s a definite late-album highlight. New Day is the quickest toe-tapper on the album but is one of the most joyful, Morrison singing about taking a minute before moving on and highlighting ways in which to do so. The closing track Fill My Glass continues the sentiment but elevates it, calling back to 2000s garage in the beat and manifesting Jamiroquai in his vocal delivery.
Fight Another Day is the embodiment of a man swinging with the punches and getting back up with a spring in his step. It’s a great collection of songs from a world-class writer who knows the ins and outs of pop craftsmanship. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s another solid addition to his discography.
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
