The first thing that strikes you upon listening to this new album from James is how fresh it sounds. You then notice how it sounds like a band who are having fun and whilst some of the songs may not be of a more happy nature, James approach them with a vigour of youth.
This is no mean feat when we consider James have been releasing albums for over thirty years now and to many are considered a bit of a heritage act with the ever present 'Sit Down' always springing to mind when someone mentions their name. Even as recently as now they performed that very same show on The One Show, maybe as a requisite to Tim Booth being allowed to have his say.
Still able to sell out arenas and having one of the biggest selection of hit single repertoires to choose from may therefore be a surprise to see that they still have a few tricks up their sleeve. This is no new-found thing though as since the release of that singles collection they have steadily been releasing some of the most exciting and interesting music of their career. From the experimental/moody Pleased to Meet You to the classic James sound of Hey Ma through the triumphant The Night Before/The Morning After double release they have constantly strove to continue the work from what some might say was their imperious phase of Seven and Laid.
Which leads us to La Petite Mort which is, in some ways, an amalgamation of all that is great about James and pigeon picks from the various styles they have approached in the past and assembled something that sounds recognisably James yet never once sounds derivative. This is the sound of James getting their second wind and carving out a legacy of albums which are going to stand the test of time.
From the off it is plain that their new sound is influenced by the dancier aspects of Gold Mother and in typical James style they start with a brooding, plaintive song which builds into one that you feel you have known all your life. It's that unmistakeable sound and when the trumpet kicks in you know you are in classic James territory. What else is impressed upon you is Booth's singing which has never sounded more clearer or better and doesn't seemed to have aged apart from the odd inflection of wisdom seeping through.
'Curse Curs' ups the ante and threatens to turn into a full on new rave epic as the synths take a front seat and it's 1990 all over again, this is then taken to further heights by fantastic new single 'Moving On', a song so upbeat it is surprising to find out it's influenced by the loss of Tim Booth's mother. It's a song that fits in well with the canon and should be appreciated as one of the great James singles.
If this song has a close relation it is Whiplash but whereas that album sometimes sank into turgid experimentation, here they only approach that once on 'Gone Baby Gone', a song which may have been best left off the album although it does have it's certain charms and plays the part of opening up the album after that superb start. How else could 'Frozen Britain' sound so vital if it hadn't followed this song or the brilliant 'Interrogation' take us deep into the depths.
The second half of the album contains much more deeper songs which return in parts to Laid territory although instead of acoustic guitars the main instrument is synths. There is also a wonderful ballad called 'Bitter Virtue' which creeps up on you when you least expect it and wraps it's cold arms around you. These are songs of a much more progressive and emotional state and make for a much more satisfying whole. This is the other side of James, the one who worm their way into your heartstrings instead of blustering you with anthemic chorus, this is the reason why James have had the longevity they so deserve.
Whilst the album may not be at the same level as the classic Seven or Laid phase, La Petit Mort can certainly lay claim to being one of their better albums. High praise indeed when you sit back and think about how much this band have achieved but a welcome though too as to many bands stare down the nostalgia route. James are a band who will never rest on former glories and whilst you may get all the requisite hit singles at a live show, they will continue to create astonishing new music too. You can't really ask for much more from a band.
