Warp records seem to be going through an identity crisis.
With so many new labels producing innovative electronic
music their pioneering position is being increasingly
challenged. Instead of delving deeper into the realms
of blips, beeps and beats they’ve taken a step
sideways into the weird world of melodic guitar music.
Flashlight Seasons is the second album from bedroom
polymath Nick Talbot and was first released on Bristol’s
Sink & Stove records under the moniker Gravenhurst.
Re-released but not re-mastered, this album’s
budget production generates an endearing intimacy and
simplicity of sound. Successfully avoiding the lo-fi
tag, Talbot employs a series of deftly played arrangements
and minimal instrumentation to match his vulnerable,
lilting post-Buckley falsetto.
Mid-paced melancholic music generally has to work hard
to avoid sounding the same, but Talbot’s distinctive
style and carefully crafted lyrics perfectly capture
the beauty of despair and fragility of hope. Obvious
comparisons have been made with Nick Drake, Paul Simon
and Elliot Smith who can almost be heard rattling his
six stringed shackles. But Gravenhurst is not just another
indie act. Talbot’s voice is just that little
bit sweeter, his lyrics that tiny bit more sensitive
and his swirling melodies are driven by a serene intensity
that will break the hearts of all who hear it.
Recorded in solitary confinement in his bedroom using
only two microphones, the acoustic guitar takes prominence
as a lead, melody and rhythm instrument. Airy vocal
structures sway gently in the breeze, chords tumble
delicately down and strings are exuberantly plucked.
The tone is set from the outset as Talbot softly whispers
a countdown on the organ heavy opener Tunnels,
drawing us with his softly delivered, morose tones.
The hazy, electro-folk feel is enhanced by tracks such
as the Simon and Garfunkel-esque I Turn My Face
To The Forest Floor which brims with poignant lyrics,
painful memories of unfulfilled loves and a strangely
passive anger formed in lyrics like 'You're only a stones
throw away from all the violence you buried years ago'.
Most tracks are dominated by synthesizers, clean electric
guitars and the occasional harmonica except for the
burst of ambient synth on the moody instrumental that
opens East Of The City.
Warp have picked Talbot up at the right moment, aiding
the evolution of this solo bedroom outfit into a three-piece
sonic folk ensemble. Beautifully plucked guitar, spellbinding
pastoral acoustics and understated production techniques
combine in a magical brew that bridges the gulf between
acoustic and electronic music.
Flashlight Seasons is an achingly lovely record
that simultaneously lifts you up and brings you down.
Nostalgia mingles with provocative lyrics and Nick Talbot’s
exquisitely melancholic voice in one of the classic
albums of this year so far. Best encountered alone.
Serena Kutchinsky
3.7/5 |
