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James, Living in Extraordinary Times

James, Living in Extraordinary Times



I’ve been listening to James since the early 90s and what strikes me this time around is the size and scope of this band. Mark Hunter’s keyboards may be the album’s MVP, arming each song with an impressive array of synth and sparkle. But Deborah Knox-Hewson’s electronic percussion is the wind beneath his wings, and David Baynton-Power frequently reminds us he’s one of the best drummers in alternative rock. Meanwhile Tim Booth, always the clearest and most sonorous voice of his generation of Britpop, brings his usual impassioned theatrics. The band is remarkably cohesive for its size — the three guitarists, bass and horns all rock too — if a bit uneven here; the album’s second half is much stronger. Highlights: “Mask,” “Better Than That,” “Heads”

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