James Bowers - Celia EP Review

The five-track tableau sees James Bowers' first foray into the music market wilderness.

By Josh Webb / June 13, 2012

rating: 4

Website: www.jamesrbowers.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamesrbowersmusic Release Date: 19th June 2011 is now (unofficially) known as The Year Adele Dominated the Entire World with a Piano and Some Emotional Outpourings. Have a look at the Brits and at the Grammys from earlier this year and it appears now is a good, maybe even the perfect time to be an inspiring singer/songwriter in the music biz. Who was winning? Wheres your evidence? Well apart from just a straight list of Adele victories the Americans saw it fit for folkster Bon Iver, UK melancholy soul singer Corinne Bailey Ray and classic crooner Tony Bennett to all win golden gramophones whilst Ed Sheeran sweeped up two Brits and Emeli Sande was awarded the Critics Choice award. Enough said. So, despite the current popularity in the genre, is there enough room for another piano/guitar backed artist? James Bowers seems to think so with the release of his new EP Celia, a five-track tableau which sees his first foray into the music market wilderness. Originally from just outside Chicago, Illinois, James made the move to the glossy west coast in attempt to crack a record deal; Hollywood came a-calling and the first set of songs he previewed for record companies included the original version of title track, Celia. Now hes had time to work at a sound and the timing couldnt have been better with the waves of talent pouring out in to the mainstream during his recording/writing period in 2011. Have any influences rubbed off their magic onto James? Well, lets have a listen

First up is the aforementioned title track Celia and no matter what state it was in prior to this re-working, the one thing I can say is its a truly lush EP opener. Its just incredibly well thought out from the lyrical content to the building levels of the various backing instruments which (at this point in the EP) feel very fresh. A soothingly repetitive acoustic guitar section works in totally harmony with Bowers hushed vocals, occasionally elevated by a backing chorus reverb, before the introduction of sparse piano notes and mournful cello solos. Ok, some of the rhymes are a tad heavy-handed (the verse about the train about 2:15 in sounded like a GCSE creative writing entry for example) but the song as a whole is a sumptuous blend of traditional folk, classical arrangements and acoustic rock.Building from this high is the EP highlight Night Time Coming Down and nearly as great 17, both featuring an air of familiarity to my ears. The latters verses have a lyrical melody somewhere between Robbie Williams Shes The One and James Morrisons Broken Strings which isnt really a bad thing at all (and much catchier than the chorus) whilst the inclusion of some hand drum rhythms give a much needed injection of ethno-grit into proceedings proving Bowers vocal versatility. Night Time Coming Down really takes the piano to the fore-front and I couldnt help being reminded of Vanessa Carltons infamous piano run in A Thousand Miles its a bit similar though nowhere near as karaoke worthy. Oh and a bit of gong and church bell action is never a bad thing in my book. Towards the end the EP begins to peter out, offering little I hadnt already heard in the other tracks plus some new lyrical lows (I thought you were a boxer so I took you to a fight plus similar in Regret, Damnations and Dreams being both bizarre and unintentionally funny) but Nothing is at least noticeable for the unique melding of the four previous songs into a whole new track even if the result is a bit unsettling (I had to check the last song wasnt on repeat). Despite some issues in the song-writing department and repetition towards the end, James Bowers clearly has a knack for musical composition. He is quoted in saying Ive quit trying to be clever in terms of wanting his songs to be simple but thats nothing but a disservice to the high quality of tracks here on this EP. It may be just small details but they can often be the most important and tracks like 17 and Night Time Coming Down are completely lifted through subtle changes in vocal tone, a new sound or a different pace. The versatility apparent is more than welcomed and is enough proof to me that Bowers could produce a very adept full length LP when the time comes around regardless whether the current age of the singer/songwriter may have been eclipsed by another at that point.