James Morrison has returned, and with a refined and accomplished sound.
Morrison’s fourth album, Higher Than Here, comes four years after his previous album The Awakening and ten years since his debut album Undiscovered.
What is immediately noticeable is Morrison’s love for his craft, and the energy which he draws from the audience takes his performance up several gears.
This is a live performer who adds depth and plenty of volume to an already stellar back catalogue.
“It took me a long time to feel this good,” Morrison announced to the crowd after several numbers, clearly wowed by the reaction he was receiving.
The Higher Than Here tour truly captures the upsurge in the 31-year-old’s career, he has defined himself as an artist, performing with a confident swagger and a voice full of soul and grit.
His character inspires plenty of audience participation, most notable in Broken Strings, You Give Me Something, and one of his newest singles, Demons.
A large contribution to the performance comes from his band of two guitarists, a keyboard player, a drummer, a pianist and backing singers.
Their presence felt even more so during many of his newest songs, which lend themselves to a bluesy display.
Morrison’s performance was very much a case of old meets new, alternating between the two, an untypical pattern as artists tend to showcase all their new material in one block before moving onto old classics, this was a refreshing change.
Much of the confidence that flows through this artist’s performance comes from his role as a parent.
He mentioned that he was under orders not to embarrass his daughter, Elsie, who was watching from the crowd.
He also stated that she was the inspiration for Just Like A Child, in which he talks of his own clumsiness as well his daughters: “If I fall, I’ll fall with style.”
Morrison’s repertoire shows how far he has come as an artist, and many of his originals are now sung with a new air of experience and emotion.
After returning for a welcome encore, Morrison preluded his final track by stating: “I’ll send you off home higher than here.”
And he did just that.
Image courtesy of Universal Music, via YouTube, with thanks.
