James Vincent McMorrow

“Paradise” is like bottled Summer, but on a cloudy day. It’s the soundtrack to a road trip you can’t afford to take, or to being stuck in a job you hate and yearn to break free of, or to dreaming of adventure with the person you love, or to being in the middle of Winter despite willing it to be warmer with every fiber of your being. It’s basically about pretending everything’s fine when it really isn’t, but with a bubbly, playful melody and children’s choir to back it up.The lyrics are reflective with a dash of melancholy, despite the overall cheerful, uplifting feeling of the song. The beat and accompanying feel change at the end of the song when McMorrow sings, “Nothing here without you is any fun.” There’s a rawness to this track, a genuineness that is often quite scarce in contemporary pop music these days, and it's very much appreciated.On the track, McMorrow says in a press statement:“It needed to feel naive and sincere. I’d assumed this song wouldn’t connect with a bunch of kids, but when they arrived in the studio they had learned every single line and couldn’t stop singing it. It reminded me why we make music: it’s not a selfish endeavour, it’s for everyone.”“Paradise” is the fifth single released ahead of his upcoming album, Grapefruit Season, out July 16th.Lyrics that stick:I refuse to beOut here on my own this summerHome at the weekend, making no plansDon't forget to breatheLiving in the warmth is somethingIt won't be long before we're back there again