Romantic waves. Lush strings. Multi-layered lyrics and double meanings.
James Rawson is a remarkable songwriter, with moving orchestral melodies in the charismatic ‘Tristan & Isolde.’ Wanting more of the ethereal sounds and craving the deep lyrics, I found his compositions to be emotive and falling somewhere between pop music, classical symphonies and electric New Wave.
In “J. Alfred” I’m embarrassed to admit that I had to Google the title in order reference the name in literature. I’m assuming the title comes from poet T.S. Elliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” It’s that interesting rabbit hole that Rawson leads the listener; deeper meanings and fantastical references. His vocals in this track evoke such pain, yet the music bed is light, airy and beautiful.
The second track, “St. Katherine,” also has this historical / literature layer. It’s quite a lovely structured song. Rawson’s voice is more enchanting here. Truth be told, his voice doesn’t have the warmth most pop singers have (and he may not have the range) but I came away with hearing many emotions.
“Intermezzo” is a brief, but bountiful display of acoustic guitar and calming, airy sounds.
Hauntingly beautiful and flush with just-right string orchestration, “Dead Bones” has a dash of electro-textures. “Nocturne” evoked numerous images and stirring emotions. The aggressive violin fused with ever-so-soft chimes created this wonderful tapestry of classical buoyancy. There’s this eery build up, as the bow strikes across the string, my heart pounded harder. Racing. Racing.
“Echoes In The Valley” circles back to the synthesizer and electro pop sounds. This song reminded me slightly of Incubus’ “Echo.” Rawson has a slight Asian imprint in the melodies and musical beds.
“Boys & Lotus Flowers,” “Theme & Variations,” “Mirkwood” and “Love Built A City” round out the CD, all capturing memorable, moving orchestrations. Just lovely and at the same time, moments of heartbreak. Rawson’s dreamy electronic wisps, his thought-provoking lyrics combine to make a remarkable collection. High marks for ‘Tristan & Isolde.’
