Dynamite may come in small packages, but growing artists can hail from small countries too. Solo artist Graeme James is certainly trying to do just that as the New Zealand native has been increasing his following and now, with having just spent a winter in Europe, has dropped a seasonal EP just days ago titled The Weight of Many Winters. The six track set is streaming on Spotify, listeners needing only half an hour to get through it. With folk-like feeling and metaphorical lyricism, the Kiwi shares a piece of his soul to anyone who is willing to listen.
It’s a new year, new decade, and the perfect time for new music, James more than obliged to play it. The musician debuted his first album in 2013, having continued to release new music every two to three years after. Now just a few years later, he kicks off 2021 with an extended play that revolves around the winter and everything it brings with it. His new exploration comes off in a number ways, at times soft though occasionally upbeat, in order to get his point across in creatively poetic manner. Layering together the sounds of his violin, guitar, occasional harmonica, and drums, James’ The Weight of Many Winters is an unguarded musical journey that’ll leave listeners experiencing the coldness of the winter season through his own personal lens.
Though each song carries with them its own special something, the most obvious highlights are The Weight of Many Winters, Northern Lights, and The Voyage of the James Caird.
In his newest release, James continues to marvel as a one man show with his seasoned vocals and as an instrumentalist. He shows range in his vocals and his delivery is carried out generously, showing a warmth and openness that is all-together too real. His instruments are synced together with such sophistication that it sounds as though he plays with a full band. All six songs have their strengths, but their differences are what give the EP some artistic variety. In every song though, he comes from a place of realness. The lyrics are a mixture of deep metaphors, open ended messages, and personal stories that he’s experienced whilst in Europe, all informing his work in a way that is eloquently imaginative for his listeners. Though each song carries with them its own special something, the most obvious highlights are The Weight of Many Winters, Northern Lights, and The Voyage of the James Caird. The other three are well worth the time, but these three exhibit the most flair in comparison.
Is he on his way? His support grows with each new album he drops, so hopefully sooner rather than later. There’s no doubting his skill as a musician, and if musical theory is science, then he may be a chemist in his own respect. Either way, Graeme James is evidence that there are performers who exist out there that still deserve the mantle of ‘artist’. He’s not likely to take home Grammys or walk the red carpet, but he’s deserving of making a living at this and the only problem he has right now is that he’s not heard enough.
