Album Review: Gavin James, Only Ticket Home

The last few years have been something of a Cinderella story for Gavin James. Blessed with a spell-binding voice and a knack for stadium-sized hooks, the golden larynxed Dubliner’s march towards greatness has been unstoppable. After sharing stages with friends and fans like Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, performing on prime time TV shows, including Dancing With The Stars, and hitting the billion-stream mark, he has now unleashed his much-anticipated second album.

Hell, even the cover of Only Ticket Home – showing the besuited Dub toting a briefcase – iconfirms that James means business. It’s a record inspired by life on the road and, if the tabloids are to be believed, a break-up (you can add “unwitting celebrity” to James’ long list of recent accomplishments). But success also seems to have brought some happiness into the singer’s world, as he’s largely left behind the balladry of debut Bitter Pill, in favour of a more bouyant sound.

Opener ‘Start Again’ is an anthemic effort about new beginnings, which sets the tone perfectly. Filled with football-terrace friendly hooks, it’s a euphoric track that will surely become a festival favourite. Next up, ‘Glow’ finds Gav marrying his gorgeous falsetto to a wonderfully wonky, fuzzed-up guitar riff – it’s a great track – while ‘Always’ is a Coldplay-esque ballad, which his old school fans will adore.

Some of the best moments on Only Ticket Home come when James harks back to his acoustic roots, with songs like ‘The Middle’ doffing the cap very smartly to folk maestros Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men. The title track, meanwhile, will be nothing short of spectacular live, thanks to its rousing finale and Mumford & Sons-flavoured “la-la-la” refrain. A fiendishly catchy tune, it is one of James’ very best songs to date.

I’m not so sure yet about ‘Strangers’ or the super-romantic swooner ‘Hard To Do’, but overall the album is almost entirely free from second album jitters. A powerful statement of intent from a world star-in-the-making, Only Ticket Home should ensure that James remains the leader of the Irish pop-rock revolution for a long time to come.

7/10

Out now