FRESH BAKED
James
Hey Ma
2008 | Mercury Records
B

As the legends continue to release albums well after the years of their youth, the questions of both artistic validity and posterity remain – does their current material meet the standard set by their previous output? Despite limited touring from the Manchester-based band as of late, and an earlier extended break through much of the new millennium, James has had a prolific 20 plus-year career. And now they’re climbing to the next bracket. The Fresh as a Daisy boxed set and finally realized Hey Ma have brought renewed interest back into one of the original Factory Records bands. James’s current stateside touring has had them opening for some of the biggest bands in AOR/Adult Contemporary acts, such as Squeeze – and this follows after years as a headliner for Creation, Sire, and Fontana touring rosters, which brought them on bills with The Smiths, Oasis and Radiohead. Ironically, these bands all managed to go on to more successful careers, while James continued to label jump throughout the 80s, with an ever-evolving lineup of players. Once Tim Booth announced his return to James in 2007 though, after a six-year hiatus, a new album was prepped and announced as Hey Ma, the band’s tenth studio album.

The album overcomes all the harbingers of doom that have clouded major label veterans on their current releases. With Hey Ma, it seems, they had the time and the perspective to hone their sound and keep it true to the James fan base. The album operates on a visceral level that’s in tune with many of their heavier singles, as well as Gold Mother, an album released at the height of  “Madchester.” The improvisational spirit of James still lays intact and Tim Booth’s lyrical mind continues to show itself through his spirited voice of inspiration. The eleven tracks here represent the humor and guile of a band in middle age whose heart still lies in touring and has an always-competitive stride and local pride.

Standout singles, “Under the Waterfall” and “Whiteboy” hit with that same feverish passions that recall “Sit Down” and “Come Home.” The album has all the givings of a band that always has, and now continues to, deliver. Other tracks, such as “Oh My Heart” and “I Wanna Go Home,” completely bring back the band’s momentum – poising them to leave a legacy not only as one of Manchester’s greatest bands, but also as one of the UK’s finest.

by Gordon Sharp