Be Opened by the Wonderful

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".

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".

[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".