Jimmy Lee Morris - Wilderness Wood | Album Review

Credit: Official Album Artwork
Jimmy Lee Morris's new album is out this Friday! We had an exclusive listen to Wilderness Wood before release and here's what we made of it!

A singer-songwriter residing in East Sussex,
Jimmy creates songs about life and love. The 13-track album was produced by Simon Scardanelli and has a predominantly folk/jazz vibe. In Jimmy's own words, the album is "Jack Johnson dancing with Norah Jones in James Taylor's back yard".

The record opens with Give Me All Your Love, an easy-going song with lyrics such as 'the simple things are easy if you don't make them hard'. It also features an accordion, a rare instrument in British music but one that works wonders here. Title track Wilderness Wood, complete with its backdrop of a marching band-like sound and very folky feel, would be a perfect song to sing round a campfire (if you can excuse the cliché).

Set to be released on 11th March as the record's lead single, Sunshine is a radio-ready lighthearted summery song, containing a whistle hook and a folky acoustic sound - the latter being carried through into next track Campervan Song. However, Campervan Song has a slightly more downtempo pace, with the accordion making a welcome entry once more. Then, we are met with On The OutsidePerhaps bizarrely, given the difference in genres in their music, Jimmy's vocals bare a huge resemblance to Robbie Williams on the track but take a listen and you might just see where we're coming from!

One thing that has to be commended with this album, is its eclectic range of instruments - the saxophone on Nothing to Fear gives the track a momentary jazz feel, alongside the piano and drum beat. This Is The Life That You Chose also features a bass, which provides the song with a lovely country twang.

'Sometimes love just ain't enough,' Jimmy croons on It's You That I Love, a ballad and certainly one of the slowest tracks on the record, but nonetheless worth a listen. The album is closed by Don't Fear The Night, with the glorious saxophone featuring once more from the start. With Jimmy's vocals layered over a smooth groove of drums and riffs, the song carries more of the jazz vibe of Nothing To Fear, and is a definite foot-tapper. 

If you've never listened to any of Jimmy's material before, we definitely recommend this album. With a vast array of instruments, a few of which the singer-songwriter plays himself (mandolin, acoustic guitar and bass), it's wonderful to listen to and although predominantly driven by a folk sound, it has elements of country and jazz music, a combination that undoubtedly works really well on the record.

Check out a playlist of four tracks from the album below!


Wilderness Wood
is available on Bandcamp now, on CD on Amazon from 4th March and as a digital release from 1st April.

Find Jimmy Lee Morris on social media: Facebook / Twitter / Youtube / Official Website 

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