Their last few albums have found Manchester indie legends James enjoying something of a renaissance. Their 15th studio LP was released earlier this year in 2018, and 'Living In Extraordinary Times' is even better than the previous two records. It's one of this treasured group's finest albums, a record about the state of this world we currently live in, and how we are treating each other as human beings. Once it all becomes clear, and you get to the core of this album, you realize how hard it can hit. Make no mistake about it, this is music of the times. And it's taken a band approaching their fifth decade in music to deliver it. Brimming with fury, passion and surging energy, the closing opus 'What It's All About' is quite simply an astonishing and powerful piece of music. Post-punk moods mix with an utterly flawless arrangement, eventually reaching a false ending that leads into a short, tenderly sung, folk-flavoured outro.
Even the four bonus tracks included on the deluxe edition are exemplary. Living proof that a bands best work isn't always from their younger days, and that age means experience, not being past your peak. Somehow, James just keep on hitting the targets and confounding expectations. Read the full album review HERE. 'Living In Extraordinary Times' was picked as one of RW/FF's Albums Of The Year 2018. Read the full list HERE.
