James Kemp – Home (2020)
Travelling and experiencing new environments is something a lot of people want to do, but most don’t consider what happens when you return home. Someone who is considering this is James Kemp in his debut single ‘Home’. Based on an account from a colleague, the single looks at the swinging emotions coming back home after a long time away conjures. Everything is captured in the track from those feelings of missing out on mundane happenings to the awkwardness of telling stories to people who have no idea what you are talking about.
As a debut single, ‘Home’ gives you the perfect taste of what Kemp has to offer. The punchy yet catchy track brings a taste of his home while being steeped in his approach to songwriting. There is a lot of character in the track that makes you wonder what other interesting facets of his personality Kemp will show next.
‘Home’ introduces you to Kemp’s folky Americana vibe from the very start. His vocals hit you with the story of the single. There is a lot of lyrical imagery from the emotions hitting you when you come home to all the places you could be travelling to. He is able to pack a lot into 2 and a half minutes as he articulates everything you feel when coming home. You can feel the confusion and bewilderment of the predicament through his performance which is ridiculously engaging. You can’t help but smile as you listen to him.
While his vocals take you through the dark and light of this situation, the melody adds this little extra something to it. There are a few layers of elements from this driving guitar to a light piano line. Later on, the melody has this sense of building and swelling, but it never really overtakes the vocals. It is wonderfully arranged to add to the emotional depth of the track without you really realising it.
James Kemp spins an engaging tale of the bewildering experience of coming home after travelling in ‘Home’. Using a catchy melody and lyrical imagery, he drops you into the situation and the shifting emotions.
Find out more about James Kemp on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
