Dundonian singer-songwriter James Liandu evokes a potent sense of desire in his superb second EP.
Fresh off of having his debut single ‘Half The World Away’ played on BBC Radio Scotland, singer-songwriter James Liandu has released his second EP entitled ‘Turbulence.’ James, who recently headlined the Meadow Hall venue in Dundee, has proven once again with this EP that he is one for us all to keep an eye on.
Interestingly, James does not attach himself to a specific genre, a common trait of singer-songwriters. Instead, James wants to make music that you can really feel and create something unique of his own nature. He has stated that he takes influence from his everyday life when writing his music, which is similar to artists such as Joni Mitchell and Elliott Smith who often drew from their own personal experiences and emotions when writing songs.
This influence of everyday life applies greatly to Turbulence as it was written during the confusion and sense of unknown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the runtime of the EP, that sense of the uncertainty we all felt at the time is dexterously evoked through James’ fantastic lyricism, creating a hugely relatable and engaging piece of work.
Turbulence opens with the track ‘Unaware,’ a powerful song that really elicits a sense of longing and desire. The haunting acoustic guitar perspicaciously blends with an excellent vocal performance from James, producing an enchanting opening track. James stated in a 2022 interview with the Alloa Advertiser that “pain makes the best music,” and that idea is clear for all to see in Unaware.
James’ sentiment about pain making the best music continues into the EP’s second track ‘Blue,’ where the influence of the pandemic is at its most lucid. James’ lyricism again educes a feeling of yearning, but also isolation and solitude, reminding us of all of the forlornness of the time period. With its crisp production and instrumentation, Blue is another quality track in James’ growing back catalogue of stellar music.
Turbulence concludes with ‘Another Song,’ the EP’s most optimistic track. Another Song is notable for its extremely catchy guitar playing which creates an infectious melody in combination with another sterling vocal performance from James. While it may be a departure from the other two tracks’ despondence with its far more upbeat nature, it is by no means an unwelcome one.
Overall, Turbulence is a fantastic addition to James’ increasingly impressive discography and I thoroughly recommend that you seek it out. I also recommend following James on social media for updates regarding live performances, as seeing these songs being performed live would be an exceptional experience. Turbulence is available on all major streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.