James Keen’s latest album ‘Crossover’ is a tender unraveling of the deep spiritual reflection. The coronavirus was a time marked by chaos. It became a backdrop to the spiritual awakening of an entire collective. The storms outside mirrored the storms within. An undeniably powerful time of surrender, trusting in a greater force, and letting the Divine love take control. The ‘Crossover’ is a collection of 11 songs that is a culmination of a time likewise.
‘Show Me What You Got is the album’s first song and was a teaser release of ‘Crossover’ a year back. It’s a fast guitar track with a powerful voice and passionate lyrics that speak about the need of the hour. “As we run out the clock. As you know, we’ve been dancing around this for so long…” The song strikes a chord somewhere deep, and it is intense. This and ‘Minutes to Midnight’ is a dynamic and an end-of-the-minute need about where we are in the world today. Songs to trigger the inspiration.
Next on the line is ‘Falling or Flying’ with an interesting story flow here, where the desperation of ‘Show Me What You Got’ settles into acceptance. “Who is to blame…Who is right..don’t want to play this game” and embrace “there was no other way..” Strangely, this particular song called me the most. The song blends rhythm and blues with a softer tone of melancholy.
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The title track ‘Crossover’ connects with Divine Love, which is the true essence of life and death. ‘Crossover’ as a song is a poignant meditation on the life James thought he would have, and the life that is, through faith, the Spirit gave him instead. The song speaks of serendipity, the unexpected twists that lead James to the greatest love, a love beyond what he could have ever planned. A song that truly defines the essence of the album from beginning to end.
By the middle of the album, the mood is transitioning to ‘Compromise’ with mellow guitars and lyrics that say, ” So come on let’s meet in the middle, no need to psychoanalyse…there’s nothing wrong with looking for a compromise”. And then it is the formidable number ‘Get on Board’ which I cannot stop listening to on the loop! “I’m sure to strike gold at any moment and look to seal it with a kiss…mm..mm..get on board”. Followed by another fervid track ‘Glow in the Dark’. A love story that is not a game, yet there are stories of deception and falling apart and coming back stronger. What is most excellent in James each song is the fire in it.
‘Crash Landed’ is about self-realisation and understanding of life’s makeover through hardships. ‘On This Rock’ is all about surrender, although personally, I felt those poetic words could have gone for a more romantic sound. But it is the ‘Ballad of Abraham Jones’ that hands down had the most profound effect over me, each line carries such great wisdom. By the end of the 8 minutes, it feels like we’ve traveled an infinity of this Universe.
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Each song in James’s album is either an extremely intimate, dark, intense, or personalised story and I wonder how painful the scars have been that he could transmute them into such wonderful art. The guitar in Keen’s hands is an instrument of connection, bridging the lives he has lived and the stories we listeners perceive. It’s like an unseen companion, immaculately capturing the essence of every song. I feel so grateful to have come across James Keen’s music and believe his songs must reach a far greater audience. The maturity and depth of his words and his sounds are needed at this turnover time of Humanity.
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