Richardson, J: The Pine And The Birch

J Richardson is a British born singer songwriter who is now based out of Helsinki, Finland. He has two solo albums to his credit, The Fold (2017) and his latest titled The Pine And The Birch (2022). This has been a real find as the music is both elegant and incredibly well crafted and laced with outstanding melodies. Richardson has an excellent voice, deep and rich and the backing vocals, both male and female, accentuate the melodies that much more. The album is rather mellow, forging folk, ambient, classical, and art rock in a heady brew that will reap its rewards the more you listen.

“After Dark� is a beautifully crafted album opener with a melodic mix of acoustic and electric guitar. Keyboard swells and an album highlight bass solo bring the music to a climax, and those vocals are just so good. The use of harmonium and horns is very effective on the next track “Stolen Song�, along with some lovely piano and a sumptuous vocal arrangement. Really like the drum tone as well, getting more intense as the song progresses. “On Vision� has a wistful aura and a gorgeous melody, the saxophone of Jaakko Martikainen is meticulously crafted along with piano and keyboards supporting the melody. The funky rhythms and overall quirkiness of “Obscurity� is something I could imagine The Talking Heads writing back in the day. On the somewhat jazzy “Look Up�, Anna-Elena Pääkkölä takes the lead vocal and a breezy and atmospheric mellowness pervades with sultry sax and dense musical layers that take time to peel back.

There is much more to discover as The Pine And The Birch is a delightful listen. Moody and atmospheric, this is one of those albums that you need to spend time with to fully appreciate. Recommended.

Track Listing:
1. After Dark
2. Stolen Song
3. On Vision
4. Obscurity
5. Look Up
6. White Parachutes
7. The Dry Valleys
8. The Wind
9. Mabon

Added: February 10th 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Facebook
Hits: 169
Language: english

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