James Poole - Alive

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It's hard to know what to say about James Poole that hasn't been said already - but I'm going to try anyway. As long as he keeps putting out this eloquent, elegant and heartfelt type of music then I'll attempt to find the words to do his songs justice. He hasn't failed me yet and his new song Alive (from the upcoming EP of the same name) is a glorious composition that is rich with resonant imagery and emotion, the perfect soundscape for James' exquisite vocals. There's certainly what could be classed as an old-school demeanour to James music that continues with Alive - but I'm certain that it's more of a case from learning from the classic tried and tested models of song craft that brings this timeless feel to the tune. The piano plays a stark, haunting melody that inveigles it's way into your soul with a probing insistence; James sings of those people who refuse to believe in the possibility of a dream and, instead of that getting him down, he opines with an earnest passion of how he will take this hope and optimism to make his belief in what he can achieve become an actuality. The listener is caught up in this swell of faith becoming an intrinsic part of the journey James sings so flawlessly of. It feels very personal (as surely anyone who pursues a dream will at some point find themselves in front of people who want them to take a more sensible path) and this adds to the vivid narrative the song creates. Lovely stuff that shows James should always be allowed to fly, to be this beautifully alive.