Claim that James They recovered their best tone with “All The Colours Of You” (Nothing But Love Music, 21) would be something of an exaggeration, knowing that the Manchester group gave their best in the nineties through classic works of British indie-pop of the type of “Seven” (Fontana, 92), “Laid” (Mercury, 93) y “Millionaires” (Mercury, 99). But it is no less true that the combo led by Tim Booth delivered three years ago what was his best work in a long time, resoundingly surpassing other recent (and dispensable) titles such as “Girl At The End Of The World” (BMG, 16) o “Living In Extraordinary Times” (Infectious, 18).
The British now return with what is already the seventeenth studio album of their career, in what in practice turns out to be a work that is not bitter and, incidentally, hides some other gem, although overall it stands (without a doubt ) a couple of steps below its predecessor. The content is well known, with songs with a splendid and healing appearance that give off a certain nostalgia between their lines, just before blooming with intense colors in line with that spring that has just arrived.
An aspect that, by the way, is usually the one that favors them the most, especially when they decide not to go overboard with the placement of keyboards and synthesizers that ring with an overdose of bombast. The sequence begins in the best possible way, with the blinding singles “Is This Love” y “Life’s A Fucking Miracle”and has in “Our Love”, “Rogue”, “Stay” y “Butterfly” other outstanding ones, sharing space with minor compositions that reduce the euphoria, case of “Mobile Gold”, “Way Over Your Head” o “Hey”.
“Yummy” contains few surprises, with fifty-five minutes taken over by a group whose main task moves away from innovation and focuses on completing songs with marked melodies and pristine sound, all under the protection of Booth’s heavenly voice and a charisma that reaches its own interpretation in study. The present release stands out, in short, as an overly extensive reference that alternates acceptable moments that do not bother with some flash of the most inspired James. An LP that, taking into account its ups and downs, goes directly to swell the warm area (not to be forgotten) of the group’s catalogue.