Joshua James
Build me this

The spirituality and faith of the young Joshua James are powerfully evident in his second work "Build me this". Following the success of his debut "The sun is always brighter" just a year ago, which took him on tour with Ani DiFranco and John Mayer, the talented Joshua expands his musical horizons, creating undoubtedly one of the most interesting albums of this second half of the year.

Joshua James is young, 25 years old, but he has managed to incorporate various influences that were not touched upon in his first work. The core remains the folk of the debut, but it is enriched with extensions that lead to blues, country, and soul. The compositions are filled with instrumental nuances that go beyond the debut ballads.

The opening and martial "Coal War" is a splendid rock-gospel song that practices all aspects and characteristics of this work. Lyrics driven by a deep faith in the search for something great to hold onto and music full and warm made of bass, guitar, drums, and piano as in the following "Magazine" where violin and lap steel make their appearance. The final coda is stunning. Mysticism and spirituality envelop the entire album, giving it a magic quality that a song like "Weeds", accompanied by a beautiful video, manages to make concrete. A simple folk song but one that immediately strikes.

Joshua James continues to amaze with the country-western melancholy of "Mother Mary", the rock blues of "Black July" where electric guitars and the lap steel played by Ben Peeler take the stage. More aligned with folk seem to be episodes like "Kitchen tile, Lawn full of Marigolds, and Pitchfork". Also noteworthy is the almost Irish folk "Annabelle" which breaks the serious and austere character of this album that could surely open doors to fame.

A lot going on here, revealing a myriad of musical ideas. A mix between simple folk songs and songs full of rich and warm sound (thanks also to the use of organs and pianos) make the album a pleasant listening experience that sometimes recalls something heard on Ray Lamontagne's records, but above all tries to take the best from great songwriters like Dylan, Morrison, and Young. Not to forget a warm and expressive voice. The Utah boy is young and therefore still has room for improvement, but if the starting point is an album of this level, the future can only be bright. Note the cover that portrays him with a white mask that strongly resembles Bob Dylan of the "Rolling Thunder Revue live 1975", coincidence?

I fell in love with this album upon the first listen...