If debut album Sleep At Your Own Speed hinted at a Mirah-esque eclectic/erratic approach to song arranging, Joel Nicholson’s sophomore release moves his melodic folk sound onto something softer and more mature. Benefitting from plush, rich arrangements that bed his softly spoken vocals, the new record from Butcher The Bar, entitled For Each A Future Tethered, is a sleepy, undemanding piece of easy listening.
Crafted around Nicholson’s part-whispered vocal, For Each A Future Tethered appears to give much more attention to melodic craft and its place within a song. His vocals were often the softest thing about the last release, which did provide a nice contretemps to the lightly scuzzy work present on that record. This time around the music is much sweeter, giving the bed of cotton to Nicholson’s melancholy wisp.
Though opener ‘Sign Your Name’ is forgettable, second track ‘Bobby’ really sets the tone – acoustic guitars and a light synth glove banjos, pianos and subtle brass, creating a full and rich track that remains masterfully understated and highlights a growing songwriting maturity. ‘Silk Tilts’ nails the style; light bass, plucked guitars and pop harmonies recall the lazy west-coast bliss-indie of Pinback.
Though quiet, easy and uncomplicated, it would be unfair to say Nicholson’s songs were simple, when an array of instruments, applied with an admirable subtley, flesh out much of what is present here. Though the record occassionally veers a little close to The Thrills pastiche, albeit with a more acoustic slant, For Each A Future Tethered comes closer to fully realising Nicholson’s sound – he just needs to find his own angle.
Released: 14th June 2011
[Rating: 3]
