Be Opened by the Wonderful
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| Be Opened by the Wonderful | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 June 2023 | |||
| Studio | Blueprint, Manchester, England | |||
| Length | 90:22 | |||
| Label | Nothing but Love Music | |||
| Producer | Brendan Williams | |||
| James chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Be Opened by the Wonderful | ||||
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Be Opened by the Wonderful is the 17th studio album by English rock band James, released through Nothing but Love Music on 9 June 2023. It contains orchestral reworkings of the band's songs from the Orca 22 orchestra led by Andra Vornici, also accompanied by the eight-person Manchester Inspirational Voices gospel choir,[2] along with the new song and lead single "Love Make a Fool".[1] Orca 22 also accompanied James on their 40th anniversary tour to support the record.[3] The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| XS Noize |    [4] |
Natalie Royle of Louder Than War wrote that "James have resisted the more obvious commercial route of simply repackaging their biggest hits", calling it "not only a showcase of some amazing James songs, it also is a masterclass in song rearrangement by Joe Duddell". Royle remarked that "there are so many layers and details to these songs and I am still discovering more after numerous listens".[2] Iam Burn of XS Noize described it as "an alternative version of a greatest hits album – though there are several lesser-known tracks here too" and found that the presence of the orchestra and choir "allows James to find a new sound that works well".[4] Rob Johnson of Total Ntertainment felt that the album "defies definition" and "acts as a sonic compendium of the band's entire career", also commenting that "for a band celebrating their 40th anniversary, it is striking how relevant they still sound".[5]
