It's easy to be suspicious of James Morrison, looking like a young Chris Martin, with a voice that's more suited to a black soul veteran than a 22-year-old kid from Warwickshire, and aimed by his record company pretty squarely at the 'let's buy a CD while we're at Tesco's, dear' crowd.
However, none of that is Morrison's fault, and he certainly has a knack for writing commercial songs that sound just perfect on daytime radio. Wonderful World is a bit more upbeat than its predecessor You Give Me Something, but Morrison's voice is as impressive as ever. The lyrics may be a bit corny - about being unable to appreciate beauty and nature unless the one you love is by your side - but it somehow works.
It would be nice to hear a bit more grit, as you get the impression that Morrison is capable of a lot more than singing soul-pop songs, but as long as he keeps the current round of X Factor hopefuls from the top of our charts, then more power to his elbow.
more