YOU'VE probably heard James Vincent McMorrow even if you don’t know you’ve heard him; he’s the voice behind the version of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game that scores the trailers for the sixth season of Game Of Thrones.
Backdropping the battle to rule Westeros is just one sign of the Dublin troubadour’s career expanding, with his third album seeing him enlist the services of a mainline producer – Nineteen85 – for the first time.
And the chart-friendly touch of Drake’s long-time sideman is surely behind We Move’s best moments, from the slinky Eighties-style groove of One Thousand Times to the punchy pop of Seek Another and stark, nervy opener Rising Water.
McMorrow is one of those singer-songwriters who actually sounds better when he’s not stripped back; tracks such as Killer Whales reveal his vocal limitations and transform him from being Bon Iver-esque endearing to being Reef-like irritating.
But when his soul and often savage lyrical touch are combined with a sure production touch, McMorrow manages to edge his sense of mystery towards the mainstream.
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