James Morrison

Our friends from across the Atlantic have bestowed many a singer/songwriter upon us. There is a staggering number of skinny, charming Brits infiltrating U.S. radio airwaves with their sullen, heartfelt pop music. We usually reserve a soft spot for British singers, but their music is not something we are overly eager to admit to enjoying. Listening to it scores us big points with a significant other, though, and makes us appear worldly in our tastes, so what the hell. James Morrison often falls by the wayside in the discussion of British singers to make their name in the States, yet his style of singing captures that throaty, delightfully Limey quality most American-born singers can’t hold a candle to. Morrison’s 2006 breakout single, “You Give Me Something,” is an unfairly catchy tune that lends itself nicely to commercial appeal all while telling a cynical, one-sided love story. Morrison finds himself in the U.S. playing a spot at this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, parlaying that gig into a cozy American tour. He’s got a new album, Songs for You, Truth for Me, an effort he hopes will prove his mettle, showing us there’s more to his repertoire than just one hit single.