JP Cooper Raised Under Grey Skies – Credit: Official Album Artwork
JP Cooper’s vocals on Jonas Blue’s colossal hit ‘Perfect Strangers’ gained the singer-songwriter vast amounts of attention, then later releasing massively popular singles himself. And now we have his debut album, Raised Under Grey Skies.
The record’s opening track ‘We Were Raised Under Grey Skies’ wastes no time in introducing the listener to Cooper’s powerful, velvety smooth vocals; the voice that made people sit up and listen in the first place. The stripped back song places his vocals at the forefront. It has a laid-back sound, but it’s equally full of passion and emotion; a theme which continues throughout the record.
Singles can sometimes stick out like a sore thumb on albums because they don’t flow with the rest of the record, but here ‘September Song’, ‘Passport Home’ and ‘On My Mind fit in seamlessly with the album’s sound. To be honest, every song feels big enough to be the next single.
Each song is as instantly catchy as the next, gifting us with an uplifting record with stunning vocals all the way through. Even the downtempo songs have a positive feel; ‘All The Love’, for example, you just want to sing and clap along. ‘Good Friend’ is another stand out track, which has a gospel inspire sound ringing throughout.
One last surprise on the record comes in the form of ‘Mommas Prayers’ featuring the man of the moment, Stormzy. The grime artist’s distinctive vocals create a powerful juxtaposition when placed next to JP Cooper’s; it brings a whole new element to the album and even more raw emotion. Stormzy somehow seems to adapt his sound to suit any genre, helping to create a memorable closing song, with help from a beautiful choir.
Is JP Cooper a one-hit wonder?
He most definitely is not. Albums sometimes leave us disappointed when an artist’s lead singles were as brilliant as JP Cooper’s; that isn’t the case with Raised Under Grey Skies. Each song boasts the same soulful pop magic you expect, but with their unique sound. It creates a record that is instantly enjoyable, and you will fall in love with it after a few listens.
