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Amazon.co.uk Review
Gravenhurst's second release, Flashlight Seasons, proves to be an excellent showcase for singer/songwwriter Nick Talbot. The trio from Bristol have delivered a warm, whimsical collection of songs, the simpleness of which only enhances their sheer excellence. The songs are predominantly folks songs, sung with that sixth-form romanticism that is reminiscent of Stephen Duffy during the Lilac Time's more folky periods. One could also be forgiven for comparisons to Nick Drake and Burt Jensch, especially on tracks such as "The Ice Tree", where it's just a lone troubadour with his guitar.
At times, heartwrenching, these songs have not been written by a man who has something to celebrate, rather the subject matter mainly deals with the unhappy experience of life, love lost or love never gained. "I understand anger, I know what it's for" declares Talbot at the end of the "Tunnels", which prepares us for much of what is to come. The recluse of "Bluebeard" just desires to be left alone, as "…you can't rely on those you turn to, they turn against you". The harmonica solo could have been lifted directly from Springsteen's Nebraska.
Although definitely not a Saturday night album, this is the perfect Sunday evening album. These 10 songs have been written with intelligence and honesty, together with the simple and elegantly played acoustic guitars (with a few "electronic devices" here and there), this is a very fine listen indeed. --Jamie Clark
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is curious, an album of mimetically frugal songs all reverentially brushed acoustica on the "Warp" record label. Don't they just do dance stuff? Anyhow, this maybe signals a seismic shift in their policy, but even if it doesn't listening to "Flashlight Seasons" it's obvious what encouraged the label to sign Gravenhurst as this is lovely, occasionally fabulous stuff.
Nick Talbot's keening voice relates theses ten waspishly personal tales with an air of often weary resignation as if he's come to the end of an extremely long tether and cant be arsed with anything anymore. "I know anger, I know what its for" he sings on "Tunnels" while sounding like he hasn't got the energy to pull his own trousers up. Lyrically this album is superb, twisting new shapes and nuances out of the language of despair and ennui and imbuing the whole album with an eerie fog bound atmosphere. It sounds quintessentially English, but not in any way that I've heard before. This is the England of lonely skeletal trees and roosting rooks in mist drenched meadows. Of brackish canals sliding oily ,under dank dripping tunnels. Before I waffle on like an A level Literature student anymore I'll turn to the music. Lots of precisely plucked acoustic guitar augmented occasionally by harmonica, rivulets of fervent keyboards or on "Damage" spooky trail of pedal steel.
Some may find the lack of variety a tad wearing, but there is enough ravishing material to keep the interest piqued. On songs like "Fog round the Figurehead" and "The Ice Tree" you will be enraptured at the delicate beauty on show and taken as a whole this a wonderful album . Another one to add to the pile marked desolate and gorgeous, and as any right thinking music fan knows you can never get enough of desolate and gorgeous.
Nick Talbot's keening voice relates theses ten waspishly personal tales with an air of often weary resignation as if he's come to the end of an extremely long tether and cant be arsed with anything anymore. "I know anger, I know what its for" he sings on "Tunnels" while sounding like he hasn't got the energy to pull his own trousers up. Lyrically this album is superb, twisting new shapes and nuances out of the language of despair and ennui and imbuing the whole album with an eerie fog bound atmosphere. It sounds quintessentially English, but not in any way that I've heard before. This is the England of lonely skeletal trees and roosting rooks in mist drenched meadows. Of brackish canals sliding oily ,under dank dripping tunnels. Before I waffle on like an A level Literature student anymore I'll turn to the music. Lots of precisely plucked acoustic guitar augmented occasionally by harmonica, rivulets of fervent keyboards or on "Damage" spooky trail of pedal steel.
Some may find the lack of variety a tad wearing, but there is enough ravishing material to keep the interest piqued. On songs like "Fog round the Figurehead" and "The Ice Tree" you will be enraptured at the delicate beauty on show and taken as a whole this a wonderful album . Another one to add to the pile marked desolate and gorgeous, and as any right thinking music fan knows you can never get enough of desolate and gorgeous.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Gorgeous, melancoly, mysterious, sublime, lovely acoustic sounds enhanced by some electronic trickery produces a warm wintery soundscape. Lyrically its as lovely as the textures of sounds being created and to top it all of a wonderful voice soars and whispers equally as beautifully. Like all of the most beautiful songs/music it has a vein of sadness running through it which doesn't depress but comforts. It is uncluttered music which doesn't throw any big punches, every single phrase, note or sound effect is perfectly placed and judged, creating a heart moving quiet music. Yes it is a little like Nick Drake, only in my humble opinion a better singing voice which is more like Mark Mulcahy. Believe all the reviews for this cd, One of my best finds for a long time, make it one yours!!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is the finest album I have heard this year. A mate of mine saw them live in London last year and told me I had to see them, the songs are so intense and beautiful on this record and I can only imagine how good it sounds when played in a cosy venue. It would probably cease to be that cosy, actually. The beauty of Nick Talbot's lyrics stems its preoccupation with darkness and death- it really does, as another reviewer stated below, conjure images of bare trees and dead birds. The music is stark, stripped down acoustic folk with one of the most original accompanying voices I've ever witnessed. The overall result is wintery, melancholic and deeply haunting. I have to catch them live, I HAVE TO!!!
Buy this album immediately, you won't regret it. Congrats to Warp Records for signing something so different, too!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sublime
I only recently came across Gravenhurst courtesy of the German film 'Eine Fruende Von Mir' (pretentious I know). Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2007 by War Baby
magical.................
I do not have the words to express the beauty of this set of songs.
It is a truly amazing collection - comparisons are, aptly, the tools of the less than eloquent - nick... Read more
It is a truly amazing collection - comparisons are, aptly, the tools of the less than eloquent - nick... Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2004 by bohobozo
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