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Dec 7, 2017James retains the 30s plinky-plonk piano but replaces Bowlly’s particular croon with something a little more off the wall. It turns what can initially seem like a predictable homage to sunny and smooth 60s rock into a compelling and inventive deep dive into pop’s past.
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Dec 6, 2017The mood of alienated isolation evoked by songs like this and “Funny How Time Slips Away” is balanced by the genial warmth James brings to songs by crooner Al Bowlly, “Love Is The Sweetest Thing” and “Midnight, The Stars And You”.
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MojoDec 4, 2017Glowing collection of covers. [Jan 2018, p.88]
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Dec 4, 2017The resulting album feels like a genuine, cohesive artistic statement, one that often improves upon its source material rather than just paying bland tribute.
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Dec 4, 2017James’ stark vocal delivery resonates on both an emotional and socio-political level on Tribute to 2, and, although he's is begging the world to unite and come together--something that, in the current political landscape of 2017, seems damn near impossible--at least music fans from all around the globe can agree on something: James has never sounded so elegant and in control.
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Dec 11, 2017These classic songs feel like live broadcasts from distant memory, clouds in heaven, or an empty theater after everyone's gone home.
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Dec 5, 2017An album that builds considerable emotional depth and complexity both in its song selections and production values but most of all through James's fully engaged performances.
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Dec 5, 2017The result is a warm, fuzzy embrace of an album; a release that will delight fans of James’s work as a solo artist and bandleader of My Morning Jacket, and likely anyone else who happens upon it.
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UncutDec 4, 2017Tribute To 2 is a richer and more complex collection [than his previous cover releases]. [Jan 2018, p.20]
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Dec 14, 2017If Eternally Even was James’ aggrieved effort to engage directly with a world in unrest, Tribute To 2 is an attempt to offer succor. It’s a little glimpse of the past James hopes will soothe and reassure us.
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Q MagazineDec 20, 2017Curious rather than essential. [Feb 2018, p.112]
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Dec 11, 2017For the most part, though, these spare reworkings are dramatic and wonderfully arranged. The highlight is Abbey Lincoln’s The World Is Falling Down, a bewitching snapshot of society in meltdown. For the most part, though, these spare reworkings are dramatic and wonderfully arranged. The highlight is Abbey Lincoln’s The World Is Falling Down, a bewitching snapshot of society in meltdown.
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Dec 7, 2017The tone is consistently one of hope, if James intended it to act as a balm to soothe any of the problems of the world, he’s certainly succeeded.
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Dec 7, 2017Ultimately, Tribute to 2 is uneven and fuzzy. When it works, it's lovely; when it doesn't, it's a head-scratcher. This is for fans only.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 6
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Mixed: 1 out of 6
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Negative: 2 out of 6
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Dec 30, 2017