"Indelible stamp of the 'old approach"
July 27th, 2005 Article by Jonathan Richards. “ Of all the luxuries that modern production techniques have afforded writers of the pop song, among the most significant is the greatly reduced need for what might once have been described as the most basic building blocks of that very institution: strong melody and harmony, and a watertight structure which unconsciously reassures the listener that in those three and a half to four minutes, all is well with the world. Now, thanks to ubiquitous knobs and knob-fiddling, part of that responsibility has been lifted from the songwriter, who can defer to the vast soundscape at a producer's fingertips as a means of sustaining the listener's interest. ”
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Drum Media, Sydney:
September 28th, 2004 Review by Dave Hayes.
Tim Freedman, The Vanguard 10/09/04
James Cooper, Support Act. “... First up is young Sydney songwriter James Cooper, who plays a collection of songs, largely ballads, fresh from a European trip last year. His songwriting is reasonably simple but quite effective, using just guitar or piano as a backing to his vocals. Frequently the sound of his voice, together with the way he tells stories through his songs, makes him sound some-what like a younger Paul Kelly.”
