Album Review: James Morrison – Higher Than Here
2 min readBack in 2006 English singer/songwriter James Morrison gave us something to talk about; his debut single You Give Me Something was all over the radio internationally, which helped generate sales of well over a million for his debut album Undiscovered. Nearly a decade and two albums later Morrison is still as strong as ever with his fourth studio album Higher Than Here; it’s been four years since we’ve heard new material from one of music’s most soulful voices.
Morrison’s music hasn’t lost its grip and is just as exciting as before. Lead single Demons is an exceptional song with its soul influence and a chipmunk-loop singing “I’ve got demons”, giving the track an element of modern music’s experimentalism. Expect an album packed with all kinds of gems: whether you prefer something with impact (Right Here), songs with a roar (Reach Out) or even smooth and luscious ballads (Just Like A Child).
What’s great about this album is that there isn’t a moment where the tracks feel too ‘in your face’, you get to sit back and appreciate the rawness. That raspy voice of Morrison’s never fails to entertain or prick up your ears, the piano arrangements present in most tracks are wonderfully crafted, and the soul/RnB beats help the record flow; particularly in tracks like Heaven To A Fool.
James Morrison, you’ve done it again! Higher Than Here is a delight from beginning to end and you can’t help but listen in awe to each melody, every lyric and all of the notes sung. A wait of four years between releases seems to have paid off for the singer as Higher Than Here consists of some of his finest work to date, fans can rejoice.