Never judge a book by its cover. The slightly naff and mildly controversial sleeve design of Hey Ma conceals a rare gem of an album. Improvised ideas were given time to evolve in a number of recording spaces within an old French chateau. Experimental jams were then refined to produce essences that were whittled down into these finely crafted songs.
Hey Ma manages to capture the same stripped down and warm sound of 1993's Laid, whilst avoiding the overproduced and slightly grandiose style of 1999's Millionaires. There's an intricate, textured quality to the sound, enhanced by the reintroduction of Andy Diagram's trumpet which works to great effect on 'Whiteboy' and 'Of Monsters & Heroes & Men', though takes some getting used to on the jazzed up version of last year's concert favourite 'Upside'.
Opener 'Bubbles' sets the tone of things to come, with Tim Booth's warm vocals and the life affirming nature imagery of his lyrics that describe both human creation and rebirth—and surely also reflect processes that were at work in the making of this album. And the great songs just keep coming thick and fast with infectious melodies and unexpected hooks.
Lyrically there are some dark spaces on this album whose tone becomes increasingly sombre and reflective towards the end, the final two songs having something of a Velvet Underground vibe. However the overall feel is uplifting and exuberant – light manages to penetrate the darkness even on the anti-war title track, a folky protest song with a big chorus line about boys coming home in body bags.
What distinguishes this from other James albums is its consistency. A very strong set of songs makes this a contender, alongside Laid, for their best album to date.
Five stars out of five
Feeds