Cavalier

We say

James Vincent McMorrow's debut album, 2011's folk-anthemic Early In The Morning, managed to pull off the neat trick of combining platinum-selling status - in Ireland at least - with underground cool, as if the 200k people who bought it wanted to keep him to themselves. We fell in love at first sight. His second LP Post Tropical, on which he moves into strikingly new territory sonically, looks set to change the 'underground' bit at least, to judge from early reactions to this track, as well as open him up to audiences this side of the Irish Sea. The understated restraint and dreamy falsetto of his debut are still there, this time overlaid onto lush, electronic-soul production that complements both his voice and the zeitgeist equally. Sublime first single, the Hype Machine-topping Cavalier, is a stop-you-in-your-tracks return, debuted by Zane Lowe with subsequent plays from Fearne Cotton, Greg James, Lauren Laverne, Jo Whiley and Xfm, with a powerful video from Aoife Mcardle (Beck, Anna Calvi). McMorrow plays a run of intimate UK shows in January, including the Barbican on January 26.

Contact

Label: Ian Pither, Believe Recordings
Publishing: Jon Pugh, Sony ATV
Radio: Richard Perry, RPPR
Online: Rob Chute, Partisan PR
Press: Peter Hall, Partisan PR
TV: Stuart Kenning, Non Stop Promotions
Live: Mick Griffiths, Art & Industry
Management: Ken Allen, Faction Records