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Each EP has a handful of standout songs--the melodic thrust of "Make for This City" on Morning, the escalating drama of "Porcupine" on Night--but what lingers is James' controlled mastery of mood, how the band never pushes too hard yet never settles over the course of this quietly satisfying set.
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Comprising eight tracks and running to just over half-an-hour, it's a crucible of stark arrangements, contemplative moods and subtle hooks; never earth-shattering yet consistently, discreetly affecting.
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Yes it's slower, darker and more pensive, but like the sun that breaks through the clouds to reveal a brisk sunny morning, it shimmers and shines with splendid, polished arrangements and even grander guitar-scapes.
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Frontman Tim Booth grapples with emotional instability and alienation, a lyrical content the band has layered over an appropriately modern and very British rock sound. One can't help wishing, however, that the band would have released a proper full-length instead of an admittedly disjointed and ultimately less-than-ideal collection.
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MojoThis is not the James of Sit Down vintage, which means there's still life in the old dogs yet. [Oct 2010, p.103]
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Although The Morning After's mood is distinctly downbeat and does not have the same direct appeal as The Night Before, the songs are often touching and grow more so with each listen.
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If The Night Before is stadium-ready, The Morning After is the more catatonic side of the package.
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UncutBooth's increasingly Morrissey-esque voice has a richer and more expressive timbre these days, even if the band's loose, liquid melodies sometimes lack focus. [Oct 2010, p.97]
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Under The RadarOct 26, 2010James continues to be as smart, versatile, and complexly interesting as they have ever been. [Fall 2010, p.68]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 4
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Mixed: 0 out of 4
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Negative: 1 out of 4
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Jul 12, 2020
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Oct 10, 2010