James – All the Colours of You (180g Vinyl 2LP)

All The Colours Of You is James’ sixteenth studio album and first with Grammy-winning producer Jacknife Lee. It’s a widescreen LP that takes the band into new sonic territory – from lo-fi electronica to Can-like motorik Krautrock – while remaining unmistakably James. Tim Booth explains that working with Jacknife has “made us more accessible and we didn’t realize we weren’t accessible.” To Jacknife it sounds “spontaneous” and “fresh out of the box.” James co-founder and bass player Jim Glennie simply calls the music “massive.” It’s the sound of one of Britain’s best bands deconstructed and reassembled by one of the world’s most renowned producers.

The tunes on All The Colours Of You are among the most arena-ready in James’ 38-year history. The title track and “Wherever It Takes Us” will have people singing from Malibu to Moss Side. But forget any semblance of jangly indie-pop – these tracks surprise and disorientate too. James have a history of working with mold-breaking producers such as Brian Eno, Youth, Flood and Markus Dravs. Jacknife continues this tradition with an outlook that combines punk’s DIY ethos with electronica’s veneration of textures.

Lyrically, All The Colours Of You deals with some the dark and difficult issues. Themes range from politics and race relations to climate change to the Covid crisis.

1. Zero
2. All The Colours Of You
3. Recover
4. Beautiful Beaches
5. Wherever It Takes Us
6. Hush
7. Getti Myself Into
8. Magic Bus
9. Miss America
10. Isabella
11. XYST