Keaton Henson - Somnambulant Cycles
Som
Grief is a strange thing. It can live inside you for ages without rearing its head. You can think you are ok. You can feel like you are coping with things. And then boom, there it is again. Making you cry when you feel there is no reason to. Leaving you unable to sleep properly or find the energy to do the things you love. Those things become a struggle rather than a pleasure. And yet, in there is beauty too. Sometimes it’s hard to find when you are lost in the dark but there is always beauty to cling to. I read the final words of Rob Burrows this morning “My final message to you is whatever your personal battle, be brave and face it. Every single day is precious. Don’t waste a moment.” More tears from nowhere. And then on a train with this album by Keaton Henson, trying hard to stop them again.
Lots of people would describe his music as sad or depressing. I’ve always found this a strange way to look at music. I don’t find music sad or depressing, ever. I may find that in the impact music has on me but not in the music itself. Downbeat music is neither sad or depressing. A lack of a beat does not signify a lack of a heartbeat. Never is this more evident than in the work of Keaton Henson; a talented song writer with some incredible albums to his name. However, the true magic of Keaton Henson lies within his instrumental work. We have seen this already in Romantic Works and Six Lethargies and here again on this new record.
Many modern classical composers struggle to find their own voice. Where piano is involved there has been, in my view, a trend towards whatever Nils Frahm might be doing. Like what he does becomes the new fashion for a while. I’ve heard it with numerous artists who started with quiet piano work, suddenly broadening their palette but never really finding their own voice. Keaton Henson, perhaps because he is a song writer at heart, does something few others do. The only act I can compare him to is From The Mouth Of The Sun - and that’s a massive compliment to him as I think they are one of the finest contemporary classical acts out there. The parallels lie in his use of strings that swirl and sing and bring sombre and gentle moments alive. Throughout this record these swells take Henson’s compositions to another level that I don’t feel he ever quite reaches on his songs. Make no mistake, this is a beautiful and rich record that packs an emotional punch but ultimately brings calm. And that is the point of the work, to create a feeling of calm within the listener. I’m glad to say it’s worked.