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Reviews
of the 'Wake' album:
Boomkat:
Carefully
constructed out of a plethora of worn instruments (zither,
accordion, chimes, melodica, and acoustic and electric guitars)
together with some spine tingling field recordings, Jasper
Leyland (aka Jonathan Brewster) has landed 2008's first utterly
indispensable home listening album. Self restrained and masterful
in equal measure, this 45 minute album manages to bring to
mind Fennesz, Oren Ambarchi, Alva Noto, Mountains and Tape,
evoking a fuzzy warmth without ever seeming overly familiar
or aspirational. Its so hard to get this kind of music right,
but Leyland manages to stick to a sparse palette without ever
sounding barren, and conveys a glowing sonic tapestry without
ever using any clichéd "ambient" devices.
Opening with a momentary flash of white noise, the album unfolds
with solo guitar and delicate processing, taking its time
to seduce you into its velveteen inner environs. Track 3 layers
guitar and chimes in a reverberating loop of utter loveliness,
possessing the kind of widescreen qualities you wouldn't expect
from such a stripped setup. The album closes with a stretched
hum of instruments, a blissful requiem that is both inviting
and isolated, painting a monochrome still life that echoes
hope, self reflection and a quiet joyfulness. Incredibly lovely
stuff - ESSENTIAL PURCHASE.
Smallfish:
Well,
this is an absolute cracker of a release. Following on from
Jodi Cave and Matt Rosner, Jasper Leyland delivers a simply
sublime collection of tracks. Having been a fan for ages it's
great to hear another full length work that's as cohesive
and understated as this and the way the tracks shimmer between
deep, static drenched soundscapes and gently manipulated guitar
trickery is just beautiful. There's a gentle sense of melody
and lovingly crafted arrangements that feel slightly improvised...
none of the background sound is taken away and so you get
a rich, earthy feel. A great album indeed and props must go
out to Jonathan for delivering another superb work. It definitely
was worth the wait!
Mike
Oliver, Smallfish, February 2008
Next
set of reviews ('Fieldstone')
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