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CD
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MORR 106CD
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Joel Nicholson first gave us a glimpse of his deepest thoughts in 2008 with his debut as Butcher The Bar Sleep At Your Own Speed (MORR 082CD/LP), an album that dealt with the fleet-footed uncertainties of growing up -- recorded in the intimate light of his bedroom. Since then, Joel has moved into a whole house in Manchester, the rooms of which must be sunny and flooded with light, for the latest songs, with all their delicate melodies, conjure up images of sparkling particles of dust dancing in the sunlight. Taken as a whole, the songs on For Each A Future Tethered make an album, and its an album with which Joel not only continues telling his own personal story, but which adds a new chapter to the history of great songwriting in the tradition of musicians like Nick Drake, Paul Simon and Elliott Smith. Nicholson has also shown new sides to his creativity in his arrangements. While the songs on the debut album were largely based on the traditional folk instrumentation of guitar, banjo and vocals, on For Each A Future Tethered there's a wider range of musical accompaniment, with the inclusion of trumpets, clarinets, harmoniums and pianos to name a few, resulting in a richer, fuller sound. The music is somewhat reminiscent of label mates Seabear, on "Bobby" for example, but also of indie-pop greats such as The Lucksmiths. Some songs -- like the confident lullaby "Cradle Song" and "Blood For The Breeze" -- could be folk standards, while others set new standards for folk music. Right from the word go, the opening number "Sign Your Name" shows an astonishing measure of depth and tremendous fluidity, where Joel's voice becomes entwined in the sound of the instruments. Butcher The Bar play folk-pop with a big heart, and anyone who ever wanted to throw their arms around the whole world should feel loved back when listening to this album.
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LP
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MORR 106LP
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CD
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MORR 082CD
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This is the debut full-length release by Britain's Joel Nicholson for Morr Music. He has described the cast list of his intimate band as "me and my bedroom." In Manchester, the songs of Butcher the Bar fill a small house, but soon these walls won't be the only ones in which they live. "Make this house a home" could be the phrase that matches this atmosphere. He sounds a little like Elliot Smith, with the persuasive power of his carefully-crafted chords and the immediacy of his softly-spoken vocals. An artist like Joel Nicholson would have been called a singer-songwriter before this word became a catch-all phrase. In the meantime, quiet is STILL the new loud and home-cooked tracks are still the tastiest and most comforting of all. Sleep At Your Own Speed is a coming-of-age novel consisting of 13 short stories. "Getaway," for instance, is a declaration of woe to a city that used to be home once, "Ball Point Skin Notes" illustrates the forlornness of youth, and "Leave Town" is as exuberant as a pop song can be. An acoustic guitar, a banjo, a warm, direct voice. Lyrics such as "I leave town tonight, if only western civilization feels alright..." point to the singer's earnestness and yearning for universal understanding. Melancholy, deceleration and reduction are Joel Nicholson's musical topics. Folk and post-folk, old and new heroes (Nick Drake, Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens), searching, finding and finally letting go.
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LP
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MORR 082LP
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7"
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ANOST 017EP
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Butcher The Bar is the 22 year-old Joel Nicholson, who currently resides in the north of England with his acoustic guitar and a couple of instruments such as a banjo, a melodica and an accordion. "Get Away" is a melancholy goodbye to a town, a disillusioned memory of a city that fades away while still living in it. "Leave Town" is as minimal and as maximal as a pop song could be: a guitar, a banjo and a warm voice.
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