GRAVENHURST
Flashlight Seasons
Warp Records
· The new breed of folk.
Even though they are a primarily electronic label, it's understandable why Warp Records signed Gravenhurst (a.k.a. Nick Talbot) earlier this year. Now, only months later they have re-released 2003's Flashlight Seasons. Originally put out on Talbot's own Silent Age label the album transcended the typical bedroom-folk recording, remaining intimate while achieving a depth seldom captured by lo-fi laptop geeks. So much so, in fact, that Warp chose not to re-master the album for its re-release.
In some ways, Flashlight Seasons is just what you'd expect from a loner-recluse and all-around sad guy like Talbot, right down to the predictable and blatant Nick Drake influence. (Heck, they even have the same first name!) Joking aside, there is much more to Flashlight Seasons than just a familiar melancholy sound. While it’s arguable that Talbot is even sadder than his primary influence, he diverges from the copycat path taken by so many other Drake-alikes and offers hints of shoegaze and electronica behind his delicate, finger-picked acoustic guitar. The result is a haunting and atmospheric departure from the norm.
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