James McCartney celebrated international success with his debut CD, “Available Light”. Now he is introducing his follow up, “Close at Hand”. It was produced by David Kahne and his father Sir Paul McCartney. James has some big shoes to fill and he seems to be doing ok.
I really dig his style. He sounds like his Dad but has his own thing going. He is a singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist; not a lot this guy can’t do. I wonder what it was like growing up with a man that paved the way for music as we know it today. I may be a little bias as I have always been a huge Paul McCartney fan. But James holds his own and does not disappoint.
The song, “I Only Want to be Alone”, has grungy guitars and is catchy as hell. His vocals are smooth as soft skin and glide through the air with poetic precision. The production is spot on and he executes each song with such individuality. There are little nuances that stand out in each tune. So much to the point you want to listen to each song more than once before you hear the next one. My favorite song is, “Wings of the lightest Weight”. I confess I listened to that one 3 times in a row before I moved on.
This CD moves me. I’m fascinated and have been won over. I am simply taken with amazement that one person can possess so much talent. I could get lost in his voice for days while dreaming along with every single beat that bounces from his words. “Close at Hand” is music at its finest. I almost do not feel worthy to listen to it. Did I mention how much I love this music?
By: Rebecca Hosking [hoskingrebecca@gmail.com] [Rating: 5/5]
