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Gravenhurst:
Flashlight Seasons
In a way, the first ten seconds of Flashlight Seasons foreshadow the entire album that follows. The first track Tunnels has Nick Talbot opening the album with a softly whispered one two three four one two three four. His voice is delicate, and his delivery is slow and fragile, bordering on morose. This album is all those things: delicate and slow, soft and subdued. It is also very pretty. The production on Flashlight Seasons is outstanding. The acoustic guitars are balanced between crisp sounding plucked notes and dampened strumming. Neither the guitars nor the shimmering synths overpower Talbots soft vocals, which could scarcely tolerate anything loud or grandiose. The instrumentation on Flashlight Seasons is sparse; the approach here is a quiet but tuneful minimalism, with the soft acoustic guitar taking the focus. I turn my face to the forest floor is perhaps the one spicy moment on the album, in which Talbot strums an exotic Arabian melody. On other songs, Talbots strumming is more subdued yet still melodious. The percussion typically consists of what sounds like a repeated beat on a single hand-drum. The hand-drum is sometimes accompanied by the repeated tapping of a lone cymbal. Synthesizers, clean electric guitars, and an occasional harmonica add a tasteful mood that fills in the background, though the ambient synth takes the forefront in the moody instrumental East of the City. Talbots singing is excellent throughout, and his delivery exudes a sadness that is full of beauty. Flashlight Seasons is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys quiet, pretty acoustic rock.
This album can be purchased at Darla and Silent Age Records LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Gravenhurst page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
