James Vincent McMorrow Impresses With ‘True Care’

Eschewing elaborate programming for his own soft-spoken brand of understated, sui generis electro, James Vincent McMorrow has clearly never been fond of painting himself into a corner. Yes, the Ireland-born folk/R&B/electro musician improved his geek cred when his stripped-down version of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” received airplay during a “Game of Thrones” promo last year. But even given that cover, the man’s been hard to categorize.

That trend continues with the surprise drop of his fourth album, “True Care.” On it, McMorrow seems no more devoted to one genre than he was on his first and sophomore albums—so much the better for us: debut single “True Care” refuses to be pigeonholed, winding in and out of flirtations with funk, R&B, and whatever else McMorrow deems appropriate. If his second album, “Post Tropical,” was more definitively concerned with atmosphere and mood—and his last, “We Move,” seemed to cater more to the singer’s love of R&B and hip-hop—McMorrow has now put the spotlight where it needs to be: on that smooth falsetto. The man has always had a gift, whether he’s singing acapella during the bridge of “Get Low,” or in a harmonized chorus alongside funky electro hooks, like in “Rising Water.”

Lyrically, meanwhile, “True Care” seems more abstract, focusing on memories that come and go in a barely understandable stream of consciousness: “You showed me true care then/when you showed up to a house/where I was drinking by myself/ by the door spilling liquid on the carpet /that belonged to someone I didn’t even know /or care about/or want to show my vivid mind/or tragic dancing.” There are times when McMorrow seems uncomfortable in his own skin, and the words reflect that. But much as with his previous album, “We Move,” there’s an ease, comfort, and confidence in McMorrow that trends upwards as the LP progresses.

It’s that confidence—in his voice, primarily—that makes the journey seem worth it. By the time those vaguely ’80s-sounding synths start to become more prominent, McMorrow has already won us over with his voice that comes and goes like wafting smoke in sunlight, right before it’s lifted away and out of sight. “Thank You” swings back towards the electro side of things, while other tracks like “National” and especially “Care” play more like confessionals—and once certain admittances are made, the melodies triumphantly return: “True care/what does that even mean/I needed true care when I was 17,” McMorrow points out, before the more rousing, more melodic synths bounce back. Others, like “December 2914” announce McMorrow’s intentions right out of the gate: he’s going to continue fusing R&B and electro and whatever-else-he-wants together into his own bizarre beast, regardless of how you like it.

While “True Care” is an impressive step forward, it’s still hard not to miss the folk stylings of McMorrow’s first record, “Early in the Morning.” On it, the artist proved himself capable of handling a variety of instruments in a more traditionally folk manner that satisfied a genre-specific itch. Still, this is the McMorrow we’re stuck with—and the prospect of where he could turn next in the world he’s created for himself seems, in the long run, far more interesting.

True Care” is available on Apple Music May 26.