James Vincent McMorrow – True Care

R&B | Electronica

31%

It was just last summer that Irish songwriter James Vincent McMorrow released We Move, the record that saw his full conversion from indie folk to electronic R&B. Though it had it’s fair share of filler tracks, it had hits addictive enough, and anthemic enough, to keep it afloat. The same cannot be said however of his new surprise album True Care. Not only does it lack any noteworthy singles, it also lacks any variety whatsoever, drifting along by repeated the same tired formula. The soulful synth soundscape soon becomes tedious and predictable, and McMorrow’s grating falsetto makes it difficult to discern most of the lyrics, made all the worse by the overuse of Bon Iver-esque vocal effects.

The vast majority of tracks on True Care seem underdeveloped, as though they were simply offcuts from the recording process of We Move that were bundled together absent-mindedly. The previous record’s fault are vastly multiplied on this new release, leaving all the winning charm of previous hits lost and forgotten. I’m hoping it’s just a case of “too much, too soon” and that, given more time away to dwell on his previous successes and develop his sound, he can return in a few years with an album far greater. As things stand, this latest release is sadly rushed, half-baked and not really worth your time.