Years in Marble

Album review

French singer/songwriter/guitarist Raoul Vignal's music is marked by gentle movement and carefully constructed arrangements, with delicate fingerpicked guitars and understated backing congealing into something pristine. After presenting minimal and mostly solo performances on his 2017 debut LP, The Silver Veil, second album Oak Leaf expanded the instrumentation to add muted drums, piano, and electric guitar to Vignal's ghostly acoustic folk. There were echoes of '60s U.K. folk greats and hints of influence from obscure private-press loner folk albums as well, with Vignal's hushed vocals and chamber pop arrangements recalling Nick Drake at times, and an even deeper shade of melancholy at others. Third album Years in Marble finds Vignal and his backing band dialing in their sound with an even deeper intention, detailing already restrained and beautiful compositions with unexpected sparkles of sound. Nonstandard tunings and fingerpicked acoustic guitars still serve as the central focus of most tracks, but every song adds something unique to the mix. The mysterious and airy "To Bid the Dog Goodbye" coasts by on a steady rhythm of deadened '70s drum sounds as raga-esque guitar leads answer back to each of the sung verses. The shimmering "Summer Sigh" finds Vignal harmonizing with himself and bracketing the song's choruses with bursts of softly vibrating tremolo guitar. Each of the album's instrumental twists happens so subtly they're almost hard to notice if you're not looking for them, such as "Century Man" slowly building from an intricate fingerpicked figure into a rolling atmosphere dotted with distant slide guitar and complex layers of additional guitars and percussion. Years in Marble is a masterwork of control, with Vignal somehow achieving a dynamic range of expression and instrumentation in a way so contained it takes several listens to feel the full impact of the songs. It's a slow, patient, and unflashy listening experience that quietly changes the air in the room. Vignal's songs may seem light at first, but they leave an unmistakable impression once they're gone.
© Fred Thomas /TiVo