Vinyl love: James “Hey ma”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: James
Album Title: Hey ma
Year released: 2008
Details: original pressing, standard black vinyl

The skinny: James, one of my favourite ever bands, was recently announced as part of the lineup for this year’s CityFolk festival, one of the local music festivals, but unfortunately, I will unlikely be able to make the show given the timing. Still, it got me thinking about the other two times I saw the band, especially the first, when my wife and I drove to Montreal for their stop there on the tour supporting 2008’s “Hey ma”. We had already been big fans of their earlier work but this*, their 10th studio album and their first since reforming after an almost six year absence, made us even bigger fans. It was my very favourite album in the year of its release and this wasn’t just a nostalgia vote. “Hey ma” was a return to the sound of their best work and kicked off a string of very good albums that continues to this day. I picked up this original pressing more than five years after its release from one of my favourite local record shops. I just happened to be flipping through their racks one day and there it was. No hesitation, purchase made and there have been no regrets. It’s hit my turntable more times than I can count. So good.

Standout track: “Hey ma”

*And the show, of course.