Albums

Jim Moray - Jim Moray

Penny Broadhurst 01/05/2006

Rating: 3/5

Having won over some die hard folkies and narked others with his award-winning debut, Sweet England, Moray returns with another mixture of traditional folk and electronica. His own compositions feature slightly heavier here than on Sweet England and My Sweet Rose in particular pushes the album in a darker direction - suggested by the glittery androgynous sleeve portrait. Moray's voice is pure and compelling and his treatments of the traditional songs generally work well, however there is too little variation in these arrangements. The record never gets dull, but the edges blur between tracks too easily and more epic songs like Lord Willoughby are drained of some of their power. This is a solid second effort from Moray, but he will have to work harder to build and sustain interest in his next release, especially considering the more experimental path trod by his contemporaries Patrick Wolf and Lupen Crook - whose fanbases grow daily. I enjoy the less than straight take on traditional songs, but his "schtick" may get old and he should have more faith in the strength of his own compositions.