Sock Free Hideaway

BEATS OF LOVE 

53. In The Trees by Held By Trees

GOT TO thank Jason Boardman for turning me onto this whilst he waits to kick start his fresh new label Before I Die, which is already off to a flyer when the pressing plant gets its arse in gear. That J-Walk cassette that he's turning into yummy vinyl is something else. 

These melodic instrumentals invoke the spirit of Mark Hollis with their improvised over plays, musicianship, and rich textures, but aren't over reverential. It has a breezy tone that makes it more in the manner of.

No less than seven session players, all audible components on Talk Talk's late masterpieces, or Hollis's exemplary solo work, are led by David Joseph, whose field recordings and lockdown meanderings lay the foundations for this project. Joseph also gives an honourable mention to Pink Floyd and Blur, presumably on account of the ensemble for this project contributing to their work. I can hear Floyd in some guitar lines and am still not sure whether this a good thing or not. Thankfully, this sounds nothing like Blur.     

If languid tremolo fretwork and music influenced by nature is your bag, then this track is the one for you. Fewer players give it more space to breathe than some of the other tracks. And no wailing guitars or saxes either. That clarinet really takes you to a special place that suspends both time and space. Jazz infused early morning dew, basically.     

It's a bit of a muso venture I guess, and, Jason, with several decades' experience inside the scene, states that this will appeal to "middle-aged men with beards & Balearic inclinations.." And my guess is he's right. The kind of people like me, resistant to this fresh idea that Talk Talks' earlier work was much more pioneering. 

I can already hear my mate saying 'noodly bastard' and I'm only on my third spin.