Derek James mixes and matches many different musical genres in his album Take Me Out Dancing and the result is a high energy, rock infused dance collaboration that comes together in perfect harmony.
James is a singer-songwriter from New York who wanted to combine his love of music like folk, soul and even hard rock. James started his music career halfway around the world from the streets of New York. He attended an open mic night in Australia back in 2003, it was that night that his music became a main focus and he took that energy back to the streets of New York, which are a musical melting pot of inspirations, influences and harmonizes.
Take Me Out Dancing opens with "Won't Be Long." "Won't Be Long" features James unique vocals. His voice has a sound that was heard back in the days of classic rock artists and country musicians but today it sounds like country and the Black Keys blended together and created James. It is fun to listen to the album and try to pin point which musical influences helped to shape theses tracks that all seem to flow together.
"Won't Be Long" and many other tracks feature heavy guitar rifts and folk influences that come together in a way that makes the album danceable and allows it to be listened to many times over. Each time, the audience will find new influences that went into this record and every time, it is clear that James is putting his passion for music first.
Each song builds on the next and really helps to shape an overall musical sound. This isn't an album with single after single, it is a window into James musical life and his creative vision. What stands out about this album is James is willing to experiment and try different things with his music. Why stay in one box when you can explore many others and combine musical influences that might not seem likely.
Stand out tracks on the album include, "She Goes Far Away," "Sexy Eyes" and "Maggie."
James will be an artist to watch in 2015 as he continues to grow into his musical style.