James Vincent McMorrow is a singer-songwriter hailing from Ireland who ended his American tour on Thursday night to an adoring crowd of approximately 2,000 fans packed into the gorgeous Brooklyn Steel. The venue itself was noteworthy, with its industrial chic aesthetic and soaring ceilings that perfectly matched the towering vocal strength demonstrated as he took the stage.
I expected the set to be dominated by selections from his recently released “True Care”, which maintains his soulful and quietly smooth sound. However, I was pleasantly surprised as he performed power ballad after power ballad. Crashing percussion accompanied JVM’s unbelievably pitch-perfect and heart-wrenching falsetto: his first few songs beautifully showcased not only the roof-shaking power of his onstage band, but also highlighted his crooning falsetto. I have been to my fair share of concerts, but I struggle to name a male vocalist I have seen who could match the raw live power and silkiness of JVM’s voice – the best comparison I can offer is the voice of Coldplay’s Chris Martin. He performed huge hit “Higher Love” with a voice that somehow sounds better than the studio version and with a vocal tone that was smooth as glass and unbelievably crisp.
He played many of his more popular radio hits (“Higher Love” and “Wicked Game”), which hold a bit more of a mainstream pop-crescendo sound, but his talent was consistently obvious through the set, regardless of the song. Toward the end of the set, fans (including SNL alum Jason Sudeikis!) were absolutely ecstatic when JVM performed “We Don’t Eat,” an obvious crowd favorite. We sang the chorus back word for word, and somehow the already poignant and tear-jerking lyrics took on even more of a nostalgic feel when sung in unison and in person.
James Vincent McMorrow ended his set with a lovingly predictable solo encore without his backing band – alone on the stage with his keyboard. He played a very raw, stripped down version of “Higher Love.” The dual vulnerability of a man with a piano and the delicate timbre of his voice melded together into a bittersweet union – was the perfect finish to a powerful show. While we sang back the chorus together, I realized that JVM’s live shows perfectly represent his writing style and artistic persona. With or without the whistles and bells of an on-stage band, his undiluted passion for his craft shines through in his voice and performance. Seeing JVM live is seeing an authentic singer-songwriter at his peak, and I implore you to experience his brilliance live on his next tour.
I expected the set to be dominated by selections from his recently released “True Care”, which maintains his soulful and quietly smooth sound. However, I was pleasantly surprised as he performed power ballad after power ballad. Crashing percussion accompanied JVM’s unbelievably pitch-perfect and heart-wrenching falsetto: his first few songs beautifully showcased not only the roof-shaking power of his onstage band, but also highlighted his crooning falsetto. I have been to my fair share of concerts, but I struggle to name a male vocalist I have seen who could match the raw live power and silkiness of JVM’s voice – the best comparison I can offer is the voice of Coldplay’s Chris Martin. He performed huge hit “Higher Love” with a voice that somehow sounds better than the studio version and with a vocal tone that was smooth as glass and unbelievably crisp.
He played many of his more popular radio hits (“Higher Love” and “Wicked Game”), which hold a bit more of a mainstream pop-crescendo sound, but his talent was consistently obvious through the set, regardless of the song. Toward the end of the set, fans (including SNL alum Jason Sudeikis!) were absolutely ecstatic when JVM performed “We Don’t Eat,” an obvious crowd favorite. We sang the chorus back word for word, and somehow the already poignant and tear-jerking lyrics took on even more of a nostalgic feel when sung in unison and in person.
James Vincent McMorrow ended his set with a lovingly predictable solo encore without his backing band – alone on the stage with his keyboard. He played a very raw, stripped down version of “Higher Love.” The dual vulnerability of a man with a piano and the delicate timbre of his voice melded together into a bittersweet union – was the perfect finish to a powerful show. While we sang back the chorus together, I realized that JVM’s live shows perfectly represent his writing style and artistic persona. With or without the whistles and bells of an on-stage band, his undiluted passion for his craft shines through in his voice and performance. Seeing JVM live is seeing an authentic singer-songwriter at his peak, and I implore you to experience his brilliance live on his next tour.
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