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BUY THE CD
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A plethora of soulful singers have been making their way across the pond lately. From James Blunt to Corinne Bailey Rae—it seems you can’t turn on the radio or TV without bumping into a British soulster. Now you can add James Morrison to the list. It’s pretty likely that you’ve already heard him belting out one of the songs from his new album, Undiscovered—whether between shows on VH1 or playing in the background of a scene of The Black Donnellys.
There’s no denying that James Morrison can sing. Morrison’s soulful voice is often powerfully reminiscent of Stevie Wonder. And on “Under the Influence,” the first song on the album, he sings his heart out. It’s the perfect way to open the album—because once you hear it, it grabs you. You have to keep listening. When Morrison really puts his heart and soul into his music—as on “Under the Influence” or “Wonderful World,” another one of the album’s stronger tracks—there’s something magical about it. And there are some truly magical moments on Undiscovered. The music is strong—and did I mention that this guy can really sing?
The greatest problem for Morrison, however, may be that there are just so many of him right now. With all the James Blunts and John Mayers and David Grays out there, it’s tough to stand out in the crowd. And while Morrison is brimming with talent—which really shines through on a few of the songs on the album—there isn’t a lot to set him apart. From time to time, Morrison seems to just step back and glide through a song, and the feeling just isn’t there. And even some of the better tracks seem to be just more of the same stuff we’ve been hearing lately. And while Undiscovered is a great album to listen to every once in a while—it’s just not an album that I find myself reaching for repeatedly, nor do I find myself singing Morrison’s songs when I wake up in the morning. They’re just not really that memorable.
As the judges on American Idol constantly point out, it’s all about song selection—and Morrison could have chosen more powerful, more memorable songs for his debut album, to make him rise above the rest. He’s definitely a talented singer with, I hope, a long and successful career ahead of him—but I hope he puts a little more thought into the song selection for his next album.
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