Rising UK Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist.

12 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Modern Folk, ROCK: Acoustic



Details:
James Hollingsworth is a singer-songwriter with real talent, something fresh and original to say, and a voice that can make you forget to breathe sometimes.

"This man is good. I mean very good. He has crystal clear vocals and guitar to match. It's like hearing Genesis .....I was transported back to student days........and only he has managed this live, in my view EVER!"

COMING HOME TO STAY is the latest full-length album from UK singer/songwriter/guitarist James Hollingsworth. Its 12 songs, with judicious backing vocals, extra guitar tracks and even atmospheric sound effects are laden with hooks, harmonicas, harmonies, hush and acoustic heaviness aplenty, delivered with James' characteristic passion and aplomb. More unusual tracks include the palindromic 'Bounty of Id', (also a mini-saga) of just under 2 minutes to the epic 12-minute 'Long Way Out', named after James' more minimalist 2003 album.

Quotes from people's initial reactions to the new album - released March 2007:

"Great album!"

"Definitely in the same musical super-league as the great Nick Harper (and not many in that league)"

"Still listening to the album - I'm on track 11 now - it's brilliant. Powerful performances, distinctive songwriting, a prog rock sensibility paired down to the acoustic as Roy Harper would have it, and the perfect production. Brilliant."

LIVE REVIEW:
"....and then there was James Hollingsworth...

- well by the time he'd finished I had 2 pages of notes and adrenalin coming out of my pores. I was itching to get his album once he'd finished - and i'm listening to it as I write this. It's bloody brilliant.

- live he started quite subdued....did a couple of mellow songs , in a mellow stance, and a mellow tone to his voice...then he sang possible the sweetest version of "Happy Birthday" i've ever heard - for Rach.

Then he hit the stratosphere.

I'll throw some names out that I thought of while I listened - Cat Stevens, Ian Anderson, Roy Harper, Geddy Lee...there was loads going on....and he was just passing through LOL

"You're not the only one" was the first song he did when he really went for it - and it was beautiful - fantastic song.

Then he did a song which he introduced by saying "this is a song about living on the same planet..we've got a long way to go" - perfect introduction. The song starts with the line "if you look around the world its hard to imagine how things are gonna get better" - the song is "Sooner or Later" and the CD version is just as good as it was live. Powerful stuff.

Then he completely blew me away. Not sure what the song is called....(if you're reading this James, i'd love to know) It was incredible - he got himself into it by playing this strident riff, staring at the audience and swaying to the song's rhythm - the song was being built up to this huge rock beast right from the start....then he started singing - in a way he hadn't up to this point - and it was amazing - huge delivery - fast, staccato, biting lines punctuated with this fast, big, riffing guitar. It had a kind of "Ritchie Havens 'Freedom'" rhythm, if you know Woodstock - but it had a powerful sense of urgency. It was breathtaking. The last line (sang really quick) "thank you please just to leave me aloooooooone" - it was HUGE! lol - brilliant.

- then he had to follow it! LOL

A beautiful song called "Walk the Earth" which had me singing along in my chair (I was disappointed it wasn't on the album....but it's a good excuse to buy his others LOL) - a great song that reminded me of Steve Knightley. Nice percussive slapping on the guitar on this one.

He was a really nice bloke too - afterward me and Andy Brown were chatting to him - and Andy asked him to write something ridiculous on his inlay booklet (I won't say what it was but it's not something you'd expect someone to write) - and he did LOL - great stuff.

Still listening to the album - i'm on track 11 now - it's brilliant. Powerful performances, distinctive songwriting, a prog rock sensibility paired down to the acoustic as Roy Harper would have it, and the perfect production. Brilliant. So pleased I have the CD.

Shame Ritchie Leo missed it, he would have loved him..."