Album Review: James Vincent McMorrow - Post Tropical

There's no denying James Vincent McMorrow has a voice; the Dublin singer-songwriter made that extremely clear with debut LP, Early In The Morning, last year. Come 2013, he's taken a route similar to that of Justin Vernon's Bon Iver, second album, Post Tropical, adding to his nuanced indie-folk with buzzing ambience and soul.

Make no mistake, the man's uninterrupted, silk-smooth falsetto still slices through glass, this time carried by percussive beats or rolling drums, that extra touch of life missing from his occasionally stale first offering. Post Tropical builds with every track, the subtly diverse and seductively delicate collection exploding in moments of complete bliss.

The familiar lone piano and chilled vocal of slow-burn Glacier is spruced by uplifting clapping, McMorrow's initially measured falsetto leaping with sass and excitement. Likewise, opener, Cavalier, allures with the basic storytelling until the soul creeps in, the Irishman's usual intimate sound infected with a new level of lovemaking magic. The Lakes is a pleasant and refreshing exception to the rule, its calming wind-chime ambience and harmonic backing vocals emulating the serenity to which the title alludes. Meanwhile, the title track allows the musician to play with the limits of his chest voice, much akin to parting message, Outside Digging, both appropriately climactic in conclusion.

McMorrow's experimental shift is most definitely a growth in the right direction. With ten tracks interlaced by his near perfect set of pipes, he has given himself the chance to roam, explore and let loose.