James Vincent McMorrow
All Together Now
★★★★☆
“Thank you very much, this is beautiful,” Irish musician James Vincent McMorrow smiles at the All Together Now crowd; growing steadily as the sun sets on the Main Stage. Curraghmore Estate is glowing in a ray of light peeking through the black clouds, which produced a torrent of showers earlier in the evening. Kicking off a coveted 9pm slot with new track The standard from the 41-year-old’s seventh studio album Wide open, horses – there’s a few snap, crackle and pops from the sound system before everything settles down. Having returned in June with another body of work shortly after 2022′s The Less I Knew, released via Faction Records, the prolific talent never seems to stop producing fresh work to perform.
The first few soaring guitar-led tracks he brings to the Waterford festival are largely pared back, rather than launching into a high-energy sprint. The audience responds to McMorrow’s trademark falsetto vocals, slowly ambling over with each passing (blisteringly high) note. As the sky gets darker, punters nestle together and sway to the singer’s better known singles like Red Dust – a bonus track from McMorrow’s 2010 debut album Early in the Morning.
“I’m not going to do much talking because I’ve got a lot of songs that I want to play,” the Dubliner says, with his usual soft-spoken demeanour and no-nonsense candour. Stay Cool from the aforementioned new record keeps a downtempo pace, while the catchy Give Up features a contribution from McMorrow’s six-year-old daughter.
Switching guitars with a flourish after nearly every track while dry ice and vibrant graphics build a more immersive atmosphere around him, McMorrow settles into a groove of old favourites. His hauntingly beautiful cover of Chris Isaak’s hit Wicked Game gets a spirited cheer before another debut album throwback We Don’t Eat and 2016′s We Move standout Get Low continue the ambient blend of acoustic soundscapes with soft-rock notes. The deep guitar licks, thumping bass, hi-hats and fluttering synths of the latter track create a sense of fullness and depth to his sound, which flow perfectly in a festival environment.
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Wispy, delicate vocals of If I Had A Boat and the twinkling Things we tell ourselves from his latest album showcase McMorrow’s knack for sourcing mood and melody, before Rising Water proves itself to be the best track of the entire set with ease. A groovier bassline picks up the pace, turning into a bold pop/R&B gem the crowd can get behind within seconds. There’s kids in the front row, held up by their parents, and North American fans beside me singing along to every word. His audience, much like his seven LPs to date, is eclectic.
“Thank you so much for being lovely, enjoy Jorja Smith,” he declares after rounding out a rich Friday evening performance with 2013 Post-Tropical single Cavalier. Though typically suited to more intimate spaces where his distinct voice can make its mark on everyone in the room, the Irish artist delivered a powerful set on Day 1 before his US and Canada winter gigs.
