Michael James
At a time when popular music leans toward the bland and impersonal, a musical architect of Michael James’ quality and candor is both unheard of – and a must-hear. With the release of his new EP, “To Raise an Army for Love,” James escapes the notion of a typical “love song” without abandoning the single most important element in his music: his undeniable gift for pouring his heart into every song and allowing the listener to momentarily become the characters he sings about.
In 2005, the Denver native released his last album, “Everything We Used to Be,” to enthusiastic reviews. The album scored regular rotation on independent radio throughout Colorado and was played on a number of internet radio stations everywhere from LA to New York. “Everything We Used to Be” went on to be nominated for a Kweevak.com Music Award in 2005 and the video for the first single from the album, “Room to Breathe,” was showcased at the 2005 Planet Ant Film Festival (Detroit, MI) and spent time in regular rotation on several independent music video programs. Since his last release, James has played colleges, clubs, festivals, and conferences nationwide. He has been named a showcasing artist at: D-fest (Tulsa, OK), The Hyperactive Music Festival (Albuquerque, NM), The Millennium Music Conference (Harrisburg, PA) and NXNE (Toronto, Canada). In 2007, James was invited to be a featured performer on the Emerging Artist’s Stage for the Virgin College Mega Tour ‘07 before going on hiatus to write songs for what would become the new album, “To Raise an Army for Love.”
Rising above a range of influences such as U2, Death Cab For Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, and Damien Rice, Michael James’ music embodies heartfelt songwriting that is rich with hook-driven melodies, a slice-of-life story telling, and atmospheric guitars. James clearly possesses two distinct styles of songwriting, which he manages to seamlessly integrate on “To Raise an Army for Love.” The sparsely orchestrated, but emotionally stirring song “Stethoscope” highlights James’ mellow, acoustic, indie-folk side, while others like “Poetry and Mix Cassettes” show off a more emotionally charged, mid-tempo, indie-pop feel. However, the place in which the two styles find their common ground is in James’ melancholic voice and his intimate stories of love and loss. It is there, in his husky tenor, where the songs truly come to life.
Of the album, KC Active says, “To Raise an Army for Love evokes a kind of Death Cab for Cutie-Ben Folds Five vibe, particularly on the intro track “Poetry and Mix Cassettes,” which makes excellent use of James full-bodied vocals and light guitar-licks…”
The underlying theme of “To Raise an Army for Love,” produced by Grammy winner John Seymour (U2, Dave Mathews Band, Bouncing Souls) and mastered by Dom Maita (Plain White T’s, Fall Out Boy, Herbie Hancock), revolves around two central ideas of love and war. James’ songs delve into the battles that are fought every day for the sake of the people we love. James shares, “I have always been intrigued by the fact that those ideas can be so opposite and contrary to one another, but still have a common thread at their core…they almost need to coexist to exist at all. I think where you find love, many times you will also find a fight going on just to keep that love from dying.”
Michael James’ strength for using unique imagery and universal narratives in his story telling is one of his best characteristics. However, it is clear that with the new EP, James sought to explore a more poignant emotional core than in his past work. “Don’t Know What I Saw In You” is a powerfully uneasy song that builds effortlessly to an overwhelming and epic release, while “If I Fall” employs a guitar-driven, hook-filled chorus that begs for an arena-sized sing-a-long.
Recently on Denver’s local front, James’ single “Poetry and Mixed Cassettes” has seen airplay on both 93.3FM KTCL and 99.5FM The Mountain. He is also fresh off an appearance as a showcasing artist at the 37th Annual People’s Fair (an event that draws over 250k people into downtown Denver over two days).
