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Birthdays, the sophomore outing from English singer/songwriter Keaton Henson, finds the terminally heartbroken Londoner updating the lo-fi bedroom din of his 2010 debut Dear... in favor of a more lush and expansive, though no less brooding, patina of ruin. Like Dear..., which took all of the most intimate, uncomfortable, and painful bits of Henson's love life and set them against a minimalist, guitar-picked backdrop that sounded like a cross between Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago and demos for Jeff Buckley's Grace, Birthdays is so fragile and broken that listening to it without signing some kind of non-disclosure agreement feels borderline voyeuristic. Henson's voice, a nervy and pained yet melodious wail that blends the sinister affectations of Alt-J's Joe Newman and the feral croon of the aforementioned Buckley with the monastic weight of Antony Hegarty (Antony and the Johnsons), is able to spit out a lyric like "If you must die sweetheart/Die knowing your life was my life's best part" ("You") without the slightest bit of irony. Such candor can be a bit disarming, especially on the album's front half, which rarely deviates from the guitar/voice/ambient keyboard foundation established on the pensive opener "Teach Me," but songs like "Kronos," with its jarring, distorted guitars and ocean of ride cymbals, and the spooky banjo-driven "Beekeeper," which finds Henson deadpanning "You all say I've crossed the line but the sad fact is I've lost my mind," at least flirt with different sonic aspects of the tortured singer/songwriter mythology.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
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Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Eric Jacobs, Bass Clarinet - Jesca Hoop, Background Vocal - Joe Chiccarelli, Mixing Engineer - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Scott Bergstrom, Mixing Engineer - John Smart, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Jesca Hoop, Background Vocal - Joe Chiccarelli, Mixing Engineer - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Scott Bergstrom, Mixing Engineer - John Smart, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Joe Chiccarelli, Mixing Engineer - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Scott Bergstrom, Mixing Engineer - John Smart, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer - Patrick Warren, Performance Arranger
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Zac Rae, Keyboards - Zac Rae, Performance Arranger - Jesca Hoop, Background Vocal - Joe Chiccarelli, Keyboards - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer - Ben Phillips, Mixing Engineer
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Dave Levita, Guitar - Mike Daly, Acoustic Guitar - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Bass - Zac Rae, Keyboards - Tyler Ramsey, Slide Guitar - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Ben Phillips, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Dave Levita, Guitar - Sam Kearney, Guitar - Sune Rose Wagner, Guitar - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Bass - Zac Rae, Keyboards - Joe Chiccarelli, Keyboards - Joe Chiccarelli, Mixing Engineer - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Scott Bergstrom, Mixing Engineer - John Smart, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Dave Levita, Guitar - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Bass - Zac Rae, Keyboards - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Chris Sheldon, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2012 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Banjo - Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Zac Rae, Keyboards - Mike Daly, Acoustic Guitar - Dave Levita, Guitar - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Bass - Joe Chiccarelli, Mixing Engineer - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Scott Bergstrom, Mixing Engineer - John Smart, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Guitar - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Zac Rae, Keyboards - Danny Leven, Horn - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Kimi Mongello, Drums - Ben Phillips, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2012 Keaton Henson
Keaton Henson, Composer - Keaton Henson, Lyricist - Keaton Henson, Performer - Keaton Henson, Vocal - Joe Chiccarelli, Mixing Engineer - Joe Chiccarelli, Producer - Scott Bergstrom, Mixing Engineer - John Smart, Mixing Engineer - Geoff Neal, Engineer - Bill Mims, Engineer - Brian Lucey, Mastering Engineer - Zac Rae, Keyboards
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
Album review
Birthdays, the sophomore outing from English singer/songwriter Keaton Henson, finds the terminally heartbroken Londoner updating the lo-fi bedroom din of his 2010 debut Dear... in favor of a more lush and expansive, though no less brooding, patina of ruin. Like Dear..., which took all of the most intimate, uncomfortable, and painful bits of Henson's love life and set them against a minimalist, guitar-picked backdrop that sounded like a cross between Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago and demos for Jeff Buckley's Grace, Birthdays is so fragile and broken that listening to it without signing some kind of non-disclosure agreement feels borderline voyeuristic. Henson's voice, a nervy and pained yet melodious wail that blends the sinister affectations of Alt-J's Joe Newman and the feral croon of the aforementioned Buckley with the monastic weight of Antony Hegarty (Antony and the Johnsons), is able to spit out a lyric like "If you must die sweetheart/Die knowing your life was my life's best part" ("You") without the slightest bit of irony. Such candor can be a bit disarming, especially on the album's front half, which rarely deviates from the guitar/voice/ambient keyboard foundation established on the pensive opener "Teach Me," but songs like "Kronos," with its jarring, distorted guitars and ocean of ride cymbals, and the spooky banjo-driven "Beekeeper," which finds Henson deadpanning "You all say I've crossed the line but the sad fact is I've lost my mind," at least flirt with different sonic aspects of the tortured singer/songwriter mythology.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:42
- Main artists: Keaton Henson
- Composer: Keaton Henson
- Label: Oak Ten Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
(P) 2013 Keaton Henson
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