User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 14
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Mixed: 0 out of 14
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Negative: 2 out of 14
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JorgeM.Sep 17, 2008Fabulous, poetic, inspirational, epic.
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NM.Sep 18, 2008A pure f*cking delight. Nothing more needs to be said. Great lyrics, great tunes, and genuinely enjoyable. The only qualm? The production is over-compressed. I'll fault the mastering for that.
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SY.Sep 17, 2008Possibly my favorite album of the year. I was not a James fan until this album. Stand-outs include "Whiteboy" and "Hey Ma". The album is a bit politically charged but I like the clever lyrics and the interesting instrumentation (such as muted trumpts, etc.).
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TomB.Sep 18, 2008great to have these guys back, and a welcome return to form. hopefully they have a few more albums in them, with this lineup. their 90s output was almost second to none.
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thelistenerSep 19, 2008Great to have a new James release... Doesnt come close to Laid (which would be a 10 on my scale)... but is still quite good. The album seems to heavy on the horns at times.. Despite my score of 7, a must buy for any James fan.
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Awards & Rankings
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James do have more quirks in their sound and plenty of quirks in Booth, who is always willing to act like a fool if it is in service of the greater good. These are the things that make Hey Ma a welcome comeback even for those listeners who may never have been big James fans.
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Setting out their stall with the strength and affirmation of the birth song 'Bubbles,' seemingly inspired by the arrival of Booth's first son, James gather themselves with an impressively solid stature.
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Q MagazineJames has surprisingly reunited for this equally surprisingly strong comeback album. [May 2008, p.135]