James McCartney at Vega 6/27
8PM | All Ages | $15 ADV $20 DOS | VIP Tables Available
Get tickets: http://bit.ly/1T9Fdqr
Singer-songwriter James McCartney’s signature aesthetic of melding smart hooks and feral alt-rock with the grandeur and spiritual centeredness of psychedelic music has won him press plaudits and a strong fan-base. He’s garnered critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and The Daily News. He’s built a robust international profile through tirelessly touring the UK, Europe and the US, most recently including a sold out three show residency at The Islington in London, where he debuted his new material.
Now, he issues the sharpest entry of his vision, The Blackberry Train engineered by Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies and PJ Harvey), to be released worldwide May 6th.
The Blackberry Train manages to be both diverse and cohesive. Opening with the invigorating “Too Hard” and closing with the stately and aptly named folk song, “Peace and Stillness.” Between these bookends, highlights include the rough-edged and urgently melodic “Unicorn,” the anthemic “Peyote Coyote,” and the soulful ballad “Prayer.” One very personal song is the winsome and reflective “Waterfall” which was inspired by memories of his mother.
“It’s all been an evolution,” James says. “This set of songs definitely has a harder edge, but it’s a continuation of the last album. The main thing for me is to not conform or compromise.”
To accurately capture the music in his head, James sought out the distinct audio stylings of Steve Albini. The results make for an edgy and eclectic album with fastidiously crafted songs documented in the studio with glorious purity.
“I like the music to have elements of the avant-garde, psychedelic, and be just a little against the grain,” James reveals. “But in the end, it’s about having as much emotion as possible for me, musically and lyrically. It’s all about the music being cathartic, heartfelt and true.”.