‘All The Colours of You’ james album review
Considering we can all remember first hearing their hit single “Sit Down”, it’s incredible to think that “All The Colours of You” is indie favourites James’ sixteenth studio album and features some of the most personal material of a career that has spanned almost four decades. “We’re all gonna die, that’s the truth…” informs james’ frontman Tim Booth as the album opens with an ominous warning on “Zero”.
But then it’s not surprising to find Tim Booth, frontman for the Manchester indie legends, in such a stark, provocative mood for this album. Based in LA, Booth’s inspiration for this new record was part-written pre-lockdown and part-written as a look back at the end of the controversial Donald Trump era. The album, their follow-up to 2018’s “Living In Extraordinary Times”, is both a continuation at Booth’s view of life in America during the last couple of years and also hugely personal. “Beautiful Beaches” was inspired by a friend losing his home during the Californian fires, an event which resulted in Booth uprooting his family from his home in Topanga Canyon.
From climate change and Californian fires on one hand to recent single “Recover” which tells of the death of singer Tim Booth’s father-in-law to Covid during the first wave in the Spring of last year. The emotional video shows just how personal with Tim explaining how the song “is made and dedicated to all those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic or otherwise. It speaks to the waiting, the pain of not being able to be there when they pass, and the gift of love of their life.”
Musically, even written from different locations across the planet during the last twelve months, “All The Colours of You” is the perfect addition to their brilliant back catalogue. These hugely emotional songs have that signature James feel and, when frontman Booth joins the front rows as he is famous for doing, on their upcoming Arena tour and thousands of people sing his words back to him, the material on this album will become all that bit more special than it already is.
“All The Colours of You” by James will be released on June 4th, 2021
Pre-order: https://james.lnk.to/AllTheColoursOfYouSo
