Hey Ma

Hey Ma is the first James studio album in seven years. They’d disbanded but never really lost touch as they easily pick up where they left off. The distinct lush textures that made the band’s reputation throughout the late-1980s and 1990s became commonplace for bands ranging from Oasis to Radiohead, while the band’s overwhelming sincerity always placed them closer to the epic goodwill of the U2 camp. Hey Ma doesn’t attempt to break new ground, but actively reclaims their authority over their given terrain. There’s a comforting thrust to the near nostalgic gait of “Oh My Heart,” the chiming walls of guitar lining “Boom Boom,” and classic rock homage to the Kinks’ Ray Davies lurking behind many of these tales of societal frustration. The title track could be a collaboration with that distinguished bard’s latest work (try Davies’ Working Man’s Café for starters), while “Semaphore” is a gorgeously orchestrated ballad that dials down the band’s massive attack for a poignant quiet that’s reverberates in a masterful and chilling loneliness.