Album Review: Shawn James Fights The Dark & The Light

As sad as it is, darkness lives in every human being, but, luckily, so does light. Our life is, literally, an internal battle to decipher which part of our nature will win our soul: the darkness or the light. It may sound too mythical to be common, but to Shawn James’ new album, The Dark & The Light,  our life is a building myth, and he has the voice to soundtrack. 

Imagine it! The Legend of You! Songs such as, “Love Will Find A Way I & II,” “Haunted,” and “When I’m Gone”  show the steps we take to create a legendary life for ourselves, but part of why human beings struggle between their lightness and their darkness is because no legend goes as planned or even as prominent. I wish I could say, “Every dream comes true and everyone happily sees them!” Yet, tracks like, “Orpheus” or “The Weak End” sing to its the opposite of such fantasy, i.e. the truth. From “Burn The Witch” to “Chicago,” James approaches songs like folk fables; relying on his voice and guitar to gather everyone around the fire and tell his tale. 

Every story you hear about another human being carries warning and wisdom; something Shawn James shows. He emotes his notes as if his vocals embody the highs and lows of life. If he has to wither whimper or belt a note to move his legend along, he will. The result is record that relies on humanity to speak to listeners. Its production of focuses on how his guitar melodies guide and meet the earthiness of his voice. He, literally, feels elemental as he sings songs to show that human being are earthbound creatures trying to figure out how Heaven and Hell meet in their life or rather their relationships. Thus, form “The Curse of The Fold” to “There It Is,” Shawn James displays life really is a divide between how light and dark you feel about it. For More Information On Shawn James And To Buy The Light & The Dark on March 22 Click Here.