BEST NEW INDIE: JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW - BEND YOUR KNEES

As one of the more established indie artists from the UK, Irish songster James Vincent McMorrow’s latest track, "Bend Your Knees," is nothing short of a masterwork filled with numerous peaks and valleys that has become the principal attribute to his body of work. We Are: The Guard deciphers this long and complicated single from his latest album, True Care.

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW - BEND YOUR KNEES

"Bend Your Knees" starts off as enthusiastic as can be until the narrative takes a sharp turn down the path of the melodramatic, with a captivating level of emotional vocals taking form of a strong falsetto weaving through a musical landscape with bellowing play from an organ that can only be described as ominous. Indeed, this feeling is soon justified. Though every morsel of this track runs smoothly along a well-paved road, the lyrics are incredibly dark, almost to the point where hopelessness engulfs the over-five-minute-long storyline. Thankfully, the wonderful composition of the instrumental and McMorrow’s intoxicating voice work in harmony to distract the listener from the morbidity of the situation.

His utilization of falsetto is slightly-reminiscent of Frances Novotny, reviewed here on We Are: The Guard, just recently. Charming, but painfully sardonic, it makes me want to toss him a Prozac to make sure he doesn’t take his lyrics to heart. Still, the complexity of the track, as well as the others on his album, places McMorrow on the forefront of indie artists from the United Kingdom.

Be sure not to listen too carefully to the lyrics. Unless you get the thrill from staring down the barrel of a gun, I’m sure most people would like to avoid the words and get straight to the brilliance of the music, itself.