QRO: It seemed darker than your last two records, the one about the apocalypse (Girl At the End of the World) and the one about death (La Petite Mort)…
TB: [laughs] You’re saying this one is darker than those?
I would agree with you on that. There were some really uplifting love songs on the last one, but on the last one, Girl At the End of the World, even the love songs always had a little threat of something. [laughs] People in love with somebody, your odds are you’re gonna get your heartbroken.
I’ve always felt a bit like that. It’s like, even when wonderful things are happening in my life, it’s hard for me not to gravitate towards, “But it’s shit sometimes…”
To me, that’s being realistic. I think that’s why we’ve lasted so many years – is because we write songs that people can relate to. And not many of us are living in paradise.
Tag Archives: album-living-in-extraordinary-times
Drumlanrig Electric Fields Festival – 30th August 2018
Setlist
Hank / She’s A Star / What’s It All About / Better Than That / Five-O / Seven / Leviathan / Extraordinary Times / Sound / Heads / Attention / Moving On / Tomorrow / Sit Down / Many Faces / SometimesSupport
n/a - FestivalMore Information & Reviews
None.
Pop Matters – Living in Extraordinary Times' Is Extraordinary and Finds James Firing on All Cylinders
Booth sings with confidence and vigor, the band providing both slippery grooves and explosive crescendos as second nature. Of particular note is Glennie and Baynton-Power’s continued strength as a sonic unit. They are a criminally underappreciated rhythm section, having anchored all of the classic James releases and theirs is an intuitive and unobtrusive foundation that, if removed, would render all else to rubble. James in 2018 is alive and well and coming for your children.
8/10
The Young Folks – Review: James - Living in Extraordinary Times
The latest release from British pop band James, Living in Extraordinary Times, takes the band’s familiar up-tempo, romantic spirit and mixes in a fair amount of grit and anxiety courtesy of life in 2018. The album’s songs are infused with anger, frustration, disillusionment, and sadness, but also have their share of hope, romance and idealism injected to keep the whole affair from dragging you down. Ultimately, this is an energetic, impassioned output from a band that does not nearly sound as “old” as you might expect them to on their 16th album release.
8/10
Scarborough Open Air Theatre – 18th August 2018
Setlist
Extraordinary Times / Hank / Better Than That / Sound / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Leviathan / Coming Home (Pt.2) / Sit Down / Attention / Many Faces / What’s It All About / Moving On / How Was It For You / Come Home / Tomorrow / SometimesSupport
Badly Drawn Boy; Get Cape. Wear Cape. FlyMore Information & Reviews
Review: EvenTheStars.co.uk
“If you’ve got time constraints on your set the rules say you probably shouldn’t take your fourth song and stretch and twist and turn it in so many directions that you take up quarter of an hour of the set, but Sound was so good they could have played it to the curfew and never stopped exploring new avenues with it. The way they interact when they’re in this rich vein of creativity is what makes them stand out from the crowd.
James had come, seen and conquered, a band at the very top of their game, armed with a new record that they have absolute faith in and backed by an army of fans who connect to the spirit, fuel and are fueled by the passion and soak in the energy and then send it back amplified like the most kinetic of relationships.”
Shutter16 – Album Review: James Engages In Brilliantly Blunt Protest On Living In Extraordinary Times
James makes a protest album that outdoes their peers in the socio-commentary department and shows us how engaging non-guitar centric rock music should sound. Living In Extraordinary Times is one of those career defining albums that rarely come along these days, especially for a rock band given to this kind of statement. The album dealing with the big subjects, ones we often don’t want, or sometimes can no longer confront with the vigor we need to. James stares them down with a confidence and straightforwardness that belies that which is required of any rock band, but is most welcome, and appreciated.
99%
Gig Soup – Review: James - Living in Extraordinary Times
Fifteen albums down, James boast an extensive career and back catalogue, yet are still releasing fresh material that’s just as good (if not better) than their previous releases. We’re truly living in extraordinary times and with the release of their ‘Better Than That’ EP and ‘Living In Extraordinary Times’ this year, it’s certainly a wonderful time to be a James fan!
88%
Linlithgow Party at the Palace – 11th August 2018
Setlist
Out To Get You / Better Than That / Hank / Seven / Say Something / Dear John / Leviathan / Nothing But Love / Coming Home (Pt.2) / Stutter / Heads / Born Of Frustration / Laid / Many Faces / Sometimes / Attention / Top Of The World / Come HomeSupport
n/a - FestivalMore Information & Reviews
Review: EvenTheStars.co.uk
“‘This is one of the first songs we ever wrote’ is the introduction for Stutter, a song that’s evolved from a spindly delicate song into a huge sprawling beast, that feels somehow apt amongst all these percussion-heavy new songs. As strobes flash and Tim loses himself in the music, it feels like there’s a million drums banging out the primal beat.”
Read the full review on EvenTheStars.co.uk
Coverage from The Scottish Sun
“A HOPELESS romantic reveller popped the question to his girlfriend in front of euphoric crowds during last night’s headline act at Party at the Palace. Besotted Scott Carter, 27 pinched the microphone from Manchester outfit James before getting down on one knee and proposing to stunned Kelly Williams.”
The Hornet – The Legendary Britpop Band James Just Released Its Best Album in 25 Years
Living in Extraordinary Times, their fifteenth release, is the best work they’ve released since Laid, and – as much as it pains me to do so – I really have to thank Donald J. Trump for turning the band into indie rock protest singers.
TN2 – Review: James - Living in Extraordinary Times
When I was growing up, James were cool. James were so cool. Their lyrics eulogised the female orgasm, while necessitating a break from “the beat of the concrete” and the burning of the capitalist detritus of modern life….despite the death of the indie guitar music they pioneered and the NME that propelled it, James is still producing music.
3/5
Earthings! – Review: James - Living in Extraordinary Times
For the most part there always seems to be a lot going on. But you’ve got to admire James for continuing to be confident in its approach over three decades on. This is a band at full steam, defying the reunion narrative of bands just cashing in.
4/5
Northern Echo – Album of the Week: James - Living in Extraordinary Times
More than 30 years after their first release, the Mancunian Brit-pop favourites have continuously evolved to remain as relevant as ever.
8/10