By AMANDA GIGLIO
Asst CULTURE EDITOR
While James Vincent McMorrow’s debut album gained international recognition for his heartbroken folk, his latest release, Post Tropical, takes his beautiful falsetto and some delicately constructed samples to create a simple but passionate collection of songs. This singer/songwriter from Dublin creates a mix of the electronic music of James Blake and the indie folk of Bon Iver. Also, he has always aimed to write, produce and play virtually every instrument that goes into his albums. His newest album does not disappoint.
Post Tropical was created in eight months. The recording took place on a pecan farm half a mile from the Mexican border, which other bands like Animal Collective, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Beach House have called home on many occasions. The sounds are warm and evoke a certain style of music, even if you cannot name it. Take the song “The Lakes,” for example. It starts off with a collage of 12 mandolins, giving the effect of a rain shower in the middle of a forest. McMorrow’s voice practically floats over the electronic bass in the background. On other tracks, including “Look Out” and “Glacier,” somber chords burst forward into square-wave synthesizers. Many songs start with mellow, even mournful, piano chords and eventually break into choral chants or crashing cymbals. One song, “Cavalier,” was extremely surprising. As the first track on the album, it sets the mood for the rest of the album with a different style than his debut album Early in the Morning.
McMorrow usually tours in Europe, but has put U.S. dates into this year’s tour. He will start in Los Angeles and end back in California for this year’s Coachella music festival. Do not miss the opportunity to see him live, as his voice only sounds better. McMorrow has outdone himself, creating Post Tropical as an album in the fullest sense. He calls his audience to listen to it as a whole instead of as singles, though each song can be listened to and enjoyed independently. Even though the change in style may come as a surprise to some, this album only solidifies his versatility as an artist.
