Lead single ‘Figs and Peaches’ hints at the depth of Natural Science, as Lindsay Reamer weaves a set of what might appear to be disparate threads into a nuanced picture of humanity’s relationship with the environment. “I wrote ‘Figs and Peaches’ after reading a trail sign about invasive plants somewhere along the Natchez Trace in Mississippi,” Reamer explains. “I learned that Japanese Stiltgrass was first introduced to North America because it was used as packing material for shipments of fragile porcelain in the early 20th century. Stiltgrass is now found pretty much everywhere east of Texas.”

But the stiltgrass is only one such example within this song alone. Reamer offers a wider picture of an environment constantly changing according to human development, something notable for how inadvertent it often proves to be. Like the stories of tropical fish gathering around the recently demolished B. L. England Generating Station in south Jersey. “It’s rumoured that the warm water surrounding the plant attracted fish that might usually migrate south which made it an excellent fishing spot. This all got me thinking about unintended consequences, which is a heavy theme within environmental history,” Reamer continues:

On an individual level, I think there’s something oddly comforting about knowing we can affect the things around us… for better or worse. In this song I’m focusing on the former. This framing makes me feel less hopeless. So, I think this song is about me trying to remember that in my own little life; to be less passive. To reach out, pick my own fruit, and own the consequences instead of waiting for it all to come to me.

A variety of collaborators bring Lindsay Reamer’s sound to life, with Tyler Bussey (guitars, banjo), Artie Sadtler (bass), Lucas Knapp (synthesizers, percussion), Juliette Rando (drums), Will Henriksen (fiddle) and Eliza Niemi (cello) all lending their talents, and appearances from Victoria Rose (vocals), Michael Cormier-O’Leary (drums), Peter Gill (guitar), Frank Meadows (bass) and Jon Samuels (vocals) on specific tracks too. What results is a sound evocative and malleable enough to chart these environmental changes. And, fittingly for a lead single searching for a more active disposition, ‘Figs and Peaches’ seizes the listener immediately with what might be the loudest track on the record.

Gardens on the land
Castles on the beaches
I trust my hand and
Pluck my figs and peaches

It’s what I want, it’s what I want

Watch the video below by John Mitchell and Reamer herself below:

Natural Science will be released on the 16th August via Dear Life Records and you can pre-order it now.

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Black Sea Dahu – Thaw
Will Henriksen – Nothing Left Behind
Dehd – Letter
Hovvdy – Ruin (my ride)
Maya Lucia – preteen
They Are Gutting A Body of Water – french
Jason Calhoun – moving
Dilary Huff – Overused Sayings
Two Meters – The Nightmare
Dead Painters – Marigold
The Deer – Confetti To The Hurricane
Pastel – Moon Landing
Hit Like A Girl – No More Dysphoria
Basement Revolver – Master’s Degree
Bodies on the Beach – Ghost
Highnoon – Lens
Distant Reader – Marie
Drakes Island – 4 Days
Wet Dream – Worried
Best Mann – Must Be Wrong
The Funs – Trains Across The Sea
Ganser – Buio
Nothings – Favorite Shirt
Corinne Sharlet – Hail Mary
ahem – Halloween
Max and the Martians – Please Hold On
A.S. Wilson – Taken Apart
Béret – Book of Hera
Joel Jerome – There’s Nothing Here To Bother You Anymore
Carpet City – Little Longer
Hannah Cranton – Kite
Zachary Lucky – Didn’t Know That You’d Come Along
Wintersleep – Fading Out
Coral – find me wrong
Boo Baby – “Jazz?”
Margaux – Palm

Check out our previous Monthly Roundup playlists, and be sure to read our Reviews and Previews throughout the month.

The post October 2019 Roundup appeared first on Various Small Flames.

From the opening slow-dawning instrumental ‘Wait 1’, Nothing Left Behind unfurls in Henriksen’s signature style, soft and deceptively simple as cotton wool clouds. The songs are illuminated from within, a warm glow that brings the gentle melodies into clear relief, but all the while with a slight wistfulness, something accentuated on ‘Wait 1’ by the violin that comes sawing in around the halfway mark.

As well as the guitar, violin and keyboard from Henriksen himself, the album also features Andrew Keller (bass), Will Kennedy (drums), Jack Washburn (guitar) and Ari Ratner (vocals). This full band setup allows Henriksen to inhabit a diversity of styles, from the German Error Message-esque ‘Goodbye’ to the spacious low-key indie rock of ‘Stone’. But each song still has the Will Henriksen MO stamped all over it. Even the louder moments, where guitars squeal and drums thump, feel restrained and considered. Take ‘Whiteboard’ as an example, in which guitar and percussion build to peaks that threaten to engulf Henriksen’s mumble. Still it takes its own time, running along in an unhurried organic flow.

The final song is the title track, a very pretty slice of minimal indie pop that illustrates everything Henriksen does so well. This time it’s just guitar and Henriksen’s vocals, creating something with a beautiful simplicity. “Easy to erase,” Henriksen sings, “things appear, disappear many ways.”

Nothing Left Behind is out now on Sleeper Records and you can get it on cassette from their Bandcamp or digitally from the Will Henriksen Bandcamp.

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Tracklisting:

Restorations – Nonbeliever
Goshen Electric Co. – The Grey Tower
Horse Culture – Follow
Yowler – Where Is My Light?
Desert Liminal – Gauze Cave
Anamon – In 3
Adeline Hotel – Lightning
Lea Thomas – Upstream
Scott Orr – No Phone
Advance Base – Christmas in Nightmare City
Blue Wilson – Golden Eyes
The Sofas – Nothing Major
Lazy Legs – Nosebleed
All Boy/All Girl – Bomb
Strange Ranger – New Hair
Elly Swope – Idea
Dweller – Running
Will Henriksen – Halo
Knuckle Pups – Bottom Baby
Ian Wayne – Guessing
Massage – Crying Out Loud
Recluse Raccoon – Mother America
Interbellum – Ink
Marc Ferrino – Like a Spark
Katie Kuffel – As the Crow Flies
Emily Brown – Sometimes
KASHKA – Holding Steady
Philippe Bronchtein – Me and the Moon
Spencer Segelov – Sacred Songs
Annie Dressner – Fades Away
Belaver – Grave Robber
Of The Valley – Ride Alone
Hour – Give thanks in a special way

The post October 2018 Roundup appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Following the 2017 EP, Blue House, on Sleeper Records, Henriksen put out his debut full-length record, Blank Space earlier this year. The album saw something of an expansion of the Will Henriksen sound, with strings and keyboards elevating the songs beyond the standard bedroom pop fare, though still managing to maintain the sense of simplicity and intimacy common to the best examples of the genre. The result is a sound both distinctive and comfortingly familiar, like the voice of an old friend.

‘DOSYL’ introduces Henriksen’s style, combining straight, understated vocal delivery with his multi-instrumental talents to produce a sound at once reflective and bright. His vocals are the binding force for the record, the common thread of earnestness that is present in everything from the luminous ‘Halo’ to the frosty loneliness of ‘Morning’, where somnolent guitar is supported by glowing synths, leaving Henriksen to appear intermittently, as though singing through a sluggish haze.

We’re excited to share a brand new video for ‘Halo’ by filmmaker and artist Ari Ratner, which serves to more fully realise Henriksen’s unique aesthetic blend of playful, nostalgic and morose.

Blank Space is available now via the Will Henriksen Bandcamp page.

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Various Swell Sounds is a new collaborative playlist series from Shana Hartzel of Swell Tone, Jon Chin of Cereal and Sounds, and myself. Instead of constantly exchanging tracks amongst each other, we have decided to work together to bring them to more ears. Every month, we will match a selection of our old and brand new favourites to a specific theme, as decided on a revolving basis month by month.

After the brutal summer, the leaves are finally turning, which can only mean one thing. Yep, it’s the time of year to slip on pavements, make tired jokes about pumpkin spice coffee and hide behind closed curtains to ignore the calls for candy from ghouling children. We’ve made a playlist of songs to see you through the cool and crispy season.

There’s a Playmoss and Spotify version below, so choose what suits you best, though due to incomplete catalogues the are slight discrepancies between the two.

Check out our other Various Swell Sounds entries here and here, and head over to Swell Tone and Cereal + Sounds for the edition over there.

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