James McCartney’s new album The Blackberry Train is set to drop tomorrow, May 6th. The album opens with the brightly lit “Too Hard”; the track is anything but too hard. A melodic feel-good rocker, it’s a great opening to the album, grooving along, with a bit of an edgy guitar riff dropped right in the middle. James says about the opening track: “I wrote it in L.A, and tried to infuse it with a country feel to really bring out that desperation, and the idea of trying too hard. Dhani Harrison came into the studio and we both collaborated on the guitar solo in the song.” You can view the video and hear the track here: Stream – “Too Hard”
A great follow-up to James’ debut album Me, the album has a bit of a harder edge, but continues in the overall feel of the first album. “It’s all been an evolution,” James says. “This set of songs definitely has a harder edge, but it’s a continuation of the last album. The main thing for me is to not conform or compromise.”
The aptly named track “Waterfall” was inspired by memories of his mother. After you listen to the track the second time, if you know the story, you will be moved by the lyrics.
At times both edgy and melodic, the music has a bit of a psychedelic feel, blending indie-rock, alt-rock, feel-good music, and just plain old good melodies and catchy-as-hell hooks.
Some of the material from the album had been debuted in London in late 2015 where he played to a sold-out audience three nights running. Now he is set to embark on a tour in support of the album starting May 10th in San Juan Capistrano at The Coach House. The tour will take him through twenty-five states in just over six weeks, a grueling schedule for any artist. He’s built up a loyal and devoted following through his tours, having gone through the US, UK, and Europe.
His music has been lauded by Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The Daily News, and it’s clear he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. This train is running at full steam. For full tour information, visit Tour Dates.
The Blackberry Train Track Listing:
Too Hard
Unicorn
Waterfall
Paralysis
Ballerina
Peyote Coyote
Fantasy
Alice
Ring a Ring O’Roses
Prayer
Peace and Stillness
The album is available now on iTunes: The Blackberry Train
