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| Track list: 1. Fellow Man 2. The Blues You Sang 3. Sweet Sweet 4. Guy Fawkes' Signature 5. Thinking About Kat 6. Feathers Are Falling 7. Broken Wave (a blues for Doogie) 8. Red Fox 9. King of the Moles 10. Great Ghosts 11. Sleep On 12. Embers 13. Honey On Thigh 14. As Grey and as White 15. The Very Very Best 16. You & Your Sister Running time: 61 minutes Released: 2014 |
I don't recall getting on with this album, which was a shame. It was the last JY record I picked up - not because I decided I was done with him, but because I somehow missed the record released earlier this year. That rectified, Everything Sacred ordered (and since arrived) its way, I can get on with looking back at this one and see if I can put my finger on why I bounced off it.
It being New Year's Eve there is still a little festive spirit around, and wassailing is appropriate for that. Onward.
Fellow Man is a gentle, noodley opening with very light touch on the guitar, a chorus of other instruments slowly building, but the main focus saved for the vocal, making it a tale as much as a song - Yorkston's laid back and conversational delivery (harmonising with a more melodic female voice in many places) carrying us through. I have been off work since the 22nd, but I have had hardly a moment to get to these listens. It seems there is always something to do this "holiday". Right now I am procrastinating over form filling, some work obligations to clear before I actually return to work. I mention that because I need to banish the thought and free myself to concentrate on the music. Hopefully articulating the thought will exorcise the nagging pull/push it has had over my past 3 days.
Gone are the days of The Athletes and the pacier numbers that Yorkston penned for that ensemble of his. This feels much more like a collective, James at the head but not standing out for any other reason than to publicise. I say that because the whole thing has a low key feel to it - like a group of friends happening to get together and play tunes whilst first and foremost enjoying each others' company. There is no pretense, no bombast, and no ego - just soft, gentle melodies and complementary elements. I have really enjoyed the first pair of tracks - they offer up the serenity and peace I feel that I need but haven't had over the festive season. That offering continues into Sweet Sweet, too.
The primary contributing factor seems to be the sparsity and softness of the arrangements. There are quite a lot of separate elements in play but they are all quiet and understated. The way these coalesce into a whole is where the magic happens - the ear picking out one of other of the contributing parts to follow (keys, bass, voice, guitar and percussion at least; I think I am missing some). There is a joyous simplicity to it. Yorkston is actually speaking now, telling a story in Guy Fawkes' Signature. I think I hear Johnny Lynch (aka The Pictish Trail) on the backing chorus, and a quick Google confirms it. The pair of them go way back, after all; apparently KT Tunstall also shows up too; not a huge surprise given past connections, but I doubt I would pick her voice out (indeed, it appears she was on Fellow Man, so I missed it).
I think I know why I didn't fall in love with this album initially - it's a little too low key, a little too noodley (I guess I should define that better but think sitting down alone with a guitar and just picking for pleasure without purpose) and a little too understated to make a first time impression or stand up against more energetic or impactful past favourites. However, having carved out the time to give over to it, I find it absolutely charming, totally relaxing and, thus far, very consistent in quality. The volume has picked up a bit on Feathers are Falling, there is more of a sense that this is actually a purposeful piece, a rounder sound, clear choruses, etc. I am not sure that it is better for it though, for all my "too" statements above I am thoroughly charmed by the fragile but natural approach.
Broken Wave is a tribute to Doogie Paul, the double-bassist from The Athletes. Its a farewell to a close friend who died young. It's quite a difficult tune to listen to because that emotion is quite close to the surface. I can't say I like the song much, but then I don't need to.
The sombre interlude lasts just that one track - I suspect it will feel like an outlier for the whole disc. We pick up with Red Fox which follows Feathers are Falling in terms of sounding more purposeful and rounded. I can't really follow the thread of the lyrics though, the chorus has various creatures lying inside each other which is an odd image to hear in song. I rather liked the sound of the track though. The animal theme (which, to be fair, Yorkston has used before) continues with a song about moles - or at least superficially so; I don't catch the deeper meanings as I found myself zoning out a bit for the first time on this listen.
I often find that I write a lot in the first half of a disc and not nearly as much in the second, and I can feel a similar situation developing here. Short of literally doing a track-by-track (and I have no desire to go that route; I forcibly stop myself many times per post, and yet swathes of posts do feel a bit like that all the same) ideas tend to run dry unless there is something remarkable to comment upon. The album seems to be veering away from the super-laid-back tunes of the opening minutes as the last few have all been more coherent tunes with bigger sounds. There is still nothing brash or harsh, but things have fleshed out significantly, puffed up and now the sounds fill the space rather than drifting in lightly as if on the breeze. I preferred the earlier effect if I am honest.
Having just said that...
The pace picks up for Sleep On. This is notable because the song is short as well as quicker - it hits as a change up and suddenly concludes as a breezy interval. I would probably have enjoyed the song more if I had not been typing as it went; I hear enough to realise that it contains a lot of repetition but still, the palette cleanser was very welcome, forming a nice break between the more obvious fuller songs and a return to the subtler sounds on Embers. Some really nice vocal harmonies sneak in there almost under the radar. I am certainly glad for the return to the low key numbers - they are a great fit for my current mood, and a useful aid in needing to find some mental relaxation and some zen. I find myself tuning out, forcibly dragging myself back to write this sentence, but wanting to give in, and go with Yorkston's flow.
The penultimate song on the disc is... interesting. It sounds like a post divorce or break up song - wishing the ex well with what sounds like genuine intent, but reserving the right to dislike the new partner. I don't know if that reflects a personal occurrence for the writer or not, but it sounds a little close to the bone. The final track follows this up with a sense of longing, which then ends very abruptly with a drop to silence. It feels like a strange way to close out the record.
My overall impression though is very good, and it leaves me feeling as though I never gave the album a chance to grow on me. Which is probably true; I suspect I played a couple of songs on shuffle as it ripped, then left it to the mercy of the RNG in the greater wilderness of my library. I am glad I made the time for this today. Happy New Year to all.
It being New Year's Eve there is still a little festive spirit around, and wassailing is appropriate for that. Onward.
Fellow Man is a gentle, noodley opening with very light touch on the guitar, a chorus of other instruments slowly building, but the main focus saved for the vocal, making it a tale as much as a song - Yorkston's laid back and conversational delivery (harmonising with a more melodic female voice in many places) carrying us through. I have been off work since the 22nd, but I have had hardly a moment to get to these listens. It seems there is always something to do this "holiday". Right now I am procrastinating over form filling, some work obligations to clear before I actually return to work. I mention that because I need to banish the thought and free myself to concentrate on the music. Hopefully articulating the thought will exorcise the nagging pull/push it has had over my past 3 days.
Gone are the days of The Athletes and the pacier numbers that Yorkston penned for that ensemble of his. This feels much more like a collective, James at the head but not standing out for any other reason than to publicise. I say that because the whole thing has a low key feel to it - like a group of friends happening to get together and play tunes whilst first and foremost enjoying each others' company. There is no pretense, no bombast, and no ego - just soft, gentle melodies and complementary elements. I have really enjoyed the first pair of tracks - they offer up the serenity and peace I feel that I need but haven't had over the festive season. That offering continues into Sweet Sweet, too.
The primary contributing factor seems to be the sparsity and softness of the arrangements. There are quite a lot of separate elements in play but they are all quiet and understated. The way these coalesce into a whole is where the magic happens - the ear picking out one of other of the contributing parts to follow (keys, bass, voice, guitar and percussion at least; I think I am missing some). There is a joyous simplicity to it. Yorkston is actually speaking now, telling a story in Guy Fawkes' Signature. I think I hear Johnny Lynch (aka The Pictish Trail) on the backing chorus, and a quick Google confirms it. The pair of them go way back, after all; apparently KT Tunstall also shows up too; not a huge surprise given past connections, but I doubt I would pick her voice out (indeed, it appears she was on Fellow Man, so I missed it).
I think I know why I didn't fall in love with this album initially - it's a little too low key, a little too noodley (I guess I should define that better but think sitting down alone with a guitar and just picking for pleasure without purpose) and a little too understated to make a first time impression or stand up against more energetic or impactful past favourites. However, having carved out the time to give over to it, I find it absolutely charming, totally relaxing and, thus far, very consistent in quality. The volume has picked up a bit on Feathers are Falling, there is more of a sense that this is actually a purposeful piece, a rounder sound, clear choruses, etc. I am not sure that it is better for it though, for all my "too" statements above I am thoroughly charmed by the fragile but natural approach.
Broken Wave is a tribute to Doogie Paul, the double-bassist from The Athletes. Its a farewell to a close friend who died young. It's quite a difficult tune to listen to because that emotion is quite close to the surface. I can't say I like the song much, but then I don't need to.
The sombre interlude lasts just that one track - I suspect it will feel like an outlier for the whole disc. We pick up with Red Fox which follows Feathers are Falling in terms of sounding more purposeful and rounded. I can't really follow the thread of the lyrics though, the chorus has various creatures lying inside each other which is an odd image to hear in song. I rather liked the sound of the track though. The animal theme (which, to be fair, Yorkston has used before) continues with a song about moles - or at least superficially so; I don't catch the deeper meanings as I found myself zoning out a bit for the first time on this listen.
I often find that I write a lot in the first half of a disc and not nearly as much in the second, and I can feel a similar situation developing here. Short of literally doing a track-by-track (and I have no desire to go that route; I forcibly stop myself many times per post, and yet swathes of posts do feel a bit like that all the same) ideas tend to run dry unless there is something remarkable to comment upon. The album seems to be veering away from the super-laid-back tunes of the opening minutes as the last few have all been more coherent tunes with bigger sounds. There is still nothing brash or harsh, but things have fleshed out significantly, puffed up and now the sounds fill the space rather than drifting in lightly as if on the breeze. I preferred the earlier effect if I am honest.
Having just said that...
The pace picks up for Sleep On. This is notable because the song is short as well as quicker - it hits as a change up and suddenly concludes as a breezy interval. I would probably have enjoyed the song more if I had not been typing as it went; I hear enough to realise that it contains a lot of repetition but still, the palette cleanser was very welcome, forming a nice break between the more obvious fuller songs and a return to the subtler sounds on Embers. Some really nice vocal harmonies sneak in there almost under the radar. I am certainly glad for the return to the low key numbers - they are a great fit for my current mood, and a useful aid in needing to find some mental relaxation and some zen. I find myself tuning out, forcibly dragging myself back to write this sentence, but wanting to give in, and go with Yorkston's flow.
The penultimate song on the disc is... interesting. It sounds like a post divorce or break up song - wishing the ex well with what sounds like genuine intent, but reserving the right to dislike the new partner. I don't know if that reflects a personal occurrence for the writer or not, but it sounds a little close to the bone. The final track follows this up with a sense of longing, which then ends very abruptly with a drop to silence. It feels like a strange way to close out the record.
My overall impression though is very good, and it leaves me feeling as though I never gave the album a chance to grow on me. Which is probably true; I suspect I played a couple of songs on shuffle as it ripped, then left it to the mercy of the RNG in the greater wilderness of my library. I am glad I made the time for this today. Happy New Year to all.
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