The 10th LP release from this seven piece from Manchester, England is filled with the same passion and fervor for life that brought James to the forefront in their early nineties hey-day, however while their indie Brit pop rock is terribly attractive in its grandiose compositions and quirkiness, Hey Ma is grounded in mature sound and style undeniably mirrored by the current state of ongoing terror; melding melodic allurement with abrasion.
Hey Ma features the same classic James line up that recorded their break out album Laid and it's counterpart Wah Wah with Brian Eno. Continuing in the vein of those sessions, Lee Muddy Baker, who produced lead singer Tim Booth’s solo album Bone, assumes the helm as producer. Thankfully he encouraged the band to record in a jam session process to capture their best work. By recording these free style sessions the music morphs and evolves into cascading pop songs fueled by inspired spontaneity and trust. The result is a distinctly melodic collection that assumes their own identity cloaked by their thematic essence.
Tim Booth’s song writing is both delicate and furious. The pressured ache of the yearning “Oh My Heart” is a trial of strength, faith, and destiny (“No Control/Refugee/Just this life living me”). On the single “Waterfall” he rebukes himself over awakenings and the triviality of life’s diminishing trials. Then he tackles unsettlement, dealing with the incivility and senselessness of military action (“War is just about business”) expounded upon in the album’s title track and “72.” From there Booth risks to confront a deeper sense of insensitivity and isolation. On the heavy puzzlement of “Semaphore,” he’s distant, floating within a sea of helplessness and riddled with regret.
Yet amongst the outspoken lurk the subtle and sublime. Even present on the darker tracks, the guitar work is consistently bright with deep rhythm work that plummets and rises like a roller coaster. The empowering “Boom Boom” is a celebratory finish line anthem in committing to stay the course. However the standout track is the torturously gorgeous “Upside,” filled with wammy guitars that fluidly dissipate and dissolve into the chorus only to be met with a punch of punctuated trumpets and ivories. The energetic bellowed brass outtro raises the songs conclusion to a triumphant highlight. The lead bass “Of Monster & Heroes & Men” charters a course through a hopeful allegory of civilization and responsibility providing a sturdy foundation in allowing the improvisations to truly bloom brilliantly out from underneath the verse. On the track Booth sings, “We are the drivers, yet we feel driven.” One can’t help to not identify with the ownership and sense of place in which the individual is challenged to accept their stake of responsibility in the triumvirate title.
Subtle or abrasive, James implores the listener of Hey Ma to be conscious of their humanity. Expounding on the idea that for one to be alive is hard, yet to be alive and be aware is quite something more difficult.
Aaron Simms
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