[rating=3.50]
He will not remain undiscovered for long. James Morrison’s debut album revamps the heyday of soul with a voice reminiscent of Stevie Wonder– but with a cleaner, crisper sound thanks to today’s technology. At a young age, this English soul singer turned to music as a way of channeling a painful upbringing – the result is a positive yet openly raw deliverance.
Undiscovered takes you on a journey that picks up speed as the tracks go on. The opener, “Under The Influence” is a catchy pop tune that one could easily mistake for Terence Trent D’Arby with an equally beguiling piano to back it up. “You Give Me Something” feels so Stevie Wonder (especially in the chorus) it’s uncanny. “The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore” is a bluesy ballad that emotionally snowballs with Morrison’s husky voice building stronger and raspier right to the end.
The title song is the halfway point and aptly so, as this is when Morrison starts unhinging in all the right ways. The chorus confirms it, “I’m not running, I’m not hiding, if you dig a little deeper, you will find me” — and we definitely have found him. It is this bluesy, hard-edged voice that Morrison needs to dig down into and embrace. The climaxing tracks, “Call The Police” and “If The Rain Must Fall” have the out-of-control, no-restraints vocals that seem to suit Morrison best.
Not every musician can render such a valiant attempt on his first try, but Morrison has accomplished just that. Undiscovered reveals a talented blues-belter with an enormous potential.
