Tim Booth inaugurates All the Colours of You by singing "we're all gonna die," a sentiment that is a bit cheerier than it initially sounds. He makes an argument that we should live for the moment, an attitude that fuels the other ten songs on All the Colours of You, James' 16th album. His fervent belief in carpe diem may stem from the global unrest of 2020, a year when the world went into lockdown as they battled the COVID-19 pandemic. Booth mentions the events of the year throughout All the Colours of You -- not just quarantine, but the Black Lives Matter protests, California wildfires, and other cataclysmic events from the year -- turning the album into something of a telegram from a time of tumult. If Booth's presence is a bit overbearing here, there's a reason for it. He instigated the recording sessions during lockdown, hooking up with his Topanga Canyon neighbor Jacknife Lee, with the pair working with the rest of the band remotely. The singer may dominate the album, but that's also because he tends to swallow up a room; he's a full-force gale of heart and ambition. James and Jacknife give him plenty of room to roam by relying on semi-danceable electronic rhythms and arena-scaled atmospherics, a blend that lands the record precisely in the group's comfort zone: ambitious, arty music delivered with soft edges and strong hooks. Booth manages to ground this music while attempting to push it into the stratosphere, a duality that intrigues and chafes in equal measure, so it's good that he's buoyed by a band who give him a sympathetic bed, which is a comfort not only for the singer but for the listener as well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

1		ZERO
2		All The Colours Of You
3		Recover
4		Beautiful Beaches
5		Wherever It Takes Us
6		Hush
7		Miss America
8		Getting Myself Into
9		Magic Bus
10		Isabella
11		XYST

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