03 August 2012

Max Fotheringham - in all amber EP (Higher Living, 2012)


First release from Brussels-based singer-songwriter Max Fotheringham. Second release for the Belgian netlabel Higher Living Records. Bedroom folk solo recordings related to insomnia.


During the two first minutes of "Broken Banks" you get the impression that it will be very conventional and then at 2:00, his voice, progressively goes almost falsetto and you suspect the ghost of a whisper, and an electric echoed guitar joins injecting some welcome melancholy for the instrumental second part of the song. Your finally free to drift. 


But still, you're not ready for the strength of "Relatives", slow, sad, sadcore. Once again, when you think you're square, some light drums join and progressively create an urgency which only falsetto vocals will release in a powerful but subtle emotional apex. Something truly happens during the 39 last seconds.

"The Stakes" is more elaborate from the start, with nice textures mixing piano and guitars and not surprisingly the vocals are directly into weightless falsetto mode. Beautiful like a trademark.

One pleasant instrumental later, "And Dawn" and we are already at the last track, an usual conventional indie folk song. 

I mostly want to consider this EPas a promise for good things to come as at times Max Fotheringham is slowly putting himself in danger, walking in the direction of strange emotional introspective places, I just wish i will embrace this completely quite soon.
   

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