Reuben Hollebon
Reuben Hollebon is a songwriter from Norfolk, England. Growing up by
the diminishing coast, the child of two social workers, Reuben
remembers a youth spent pedaling bicycles out to the sea, and exploring
the land and people around him. “This is where a lot of my songs come
from,” he says. “They are stories that revolve around that life.”
His debut album will be titled Terminal Nostalgia; a reflection of his
past, but also a warning note that life should be about now, not only
something to carve into a remembrance. The album is colored by his
discovery of music as an outlet, and attempts to capture an approach that
is at once experimental and accessible, whilst also intense and intimate.
Several of the LP's songs center around friends and family, including the
powerful “We’re Gonna Miss Us (When We’re Gone)”, a grief-stricken
dirge with spectral horns that tells of the story of someone close as
dementia begins to set in. Album opener “Haystacks” draws from a true
folk story of a boy whose mischief preceded a darker turn in his life.
Whilst “Common Table” strikes a hopeful note, imagining a good ending
for us all, "When the dust is made of us, we'll take a boat and head out to
the water.”
Largely self-produced, Terminal Nostalgia is a collection of deeply
personal stories told with raw, tremulous vocals. The soundscape takes
influence from Reuben’s time as a recording engineer for several well-
known acts including Basement Jaxx, Courtney Barnett and The London
Symphony Orchestra.
Reuben’s musical ideas are kept in reams of notebooks stacked in the
corners, waiting to be shaped into a finished product over minutes or days
in the studio. He takes great care to ensure that whatever instrumentation
is added to each song is done to amplify and support those original
ideas. “I’ll have the vocal and accompaniment down, and I’ll ask myself
what I want to hear in terms of rhythm and texture, then choose an
instrument to fill that role.”
The result is a singular and soulful collection of songs that resonate
together, but can just as easily stand on their own. Each song draws its
distinct pace and personality from percussion, carefully considered
instrumentation, and subtle use of electronics. Above all, the album taken
as a whole reveals a man with an uncompromising resolve to connect
with his audience.
Joseph Arthur Solo
Joseph Arthur (Lonely Astronaut Records / US) : Comment décrire Joseph Arthur à ceux qui ne l’ont jamais vu sur scène ? On pourrait parler d’un ange déchu ou maudit, d’un sorcier new-yorkais, d’un artiste animal, qui avec une guitare et un micro, construit « en live » de véritables nappes sonores tourbillonnantes et envoûtantes… Mais qui laisse aussi la place à des morceaux dépouillés, sans artifice, habités uniquement par la voix du chanteur qui semble mettre à nu son passé. Découvert par Peter Gabriel au milieu des années ’90, Joseph Arthur tire son inspiration de Leonard Cohen, Joe Henry ou Jeff Buckley.