‘La Petite Mort’ is James frontman Tim Booth’s response to the deaths of his mother and best friend – and as you might expect it’s a tale of resilience, finding hope in a potentially difficult situation. Booth has never been shy of baring his soul on record, and he’s at it again here over a typically varied set of musical backdrops. ‘Curse Curse’ will get a lot of attention for its aping of Guetta and Avicii, which has a bit of cringe factor to begin with but turns into a really substantial song. Even more meaningful is the first song ‘Walk Like You’, a deeply felt number that gathers power as it progresses. While a lot of bands from their era flounder for inspiration, James continue their proud walk as elder statesmen – and the music on ‘La Petite Mort’ continues to uphold their high standard of music making.
