KEATON HENSON:
I was only just introduced to Keaton Henson this year. From both watching a tv program on BBC called In The Flesh (which I highly recommend you go and watch) and from my brother (once again, he seems to introduce me to a lot of music these days). Currently, he has three albums: Dear, Birthdays and Romantic Works. After the release of his most recent album, Romantic Works, he has been involved in other works and performances, such as, his Barbican performance:
“Keaton Henson presents Cellophony – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. This fully immersive version of the Four Seasons combines art installation, classical concert and theatre, guiding both audience and orchestra through the seasons physically. Using light, temperature and other controlled elements - the seasons change as the concerto evolves.”
Richard Birchall arranged the performance for eight cellos and solo violin, which was performed by the cello octet Cellophony and led by virtuoso violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky, with the addition of ambient interludes by Keaton Henson. Along with this production he opened the performance with a self-composed classical set. He has also just recently released dates for a show that he composed the music for called Ballet Boys. (Unfortunately I have never had the chance to attend any of his recent creations.)
Music isn’t the only thing that Keaton Henson takes an interest in. Before he released his albums, he started off illustrating album covers, with Dananananaykroyd’s Hey Everyone and Enter Shikari’s Take to the Skies. He has also released his own artwork in the form of a book called Gloaming, which is “essentially a field guide to a spirit world beyond our reality”. The artwork of his albums were also design and illustrated by him too. (You can find more of his artwork at: http://keatonsketches.blogpsot.co.uk/)
Dear is the first album (released 2nd of April 2012), was originally recorded in his bedroom, not expecting the album to be heard by anyone else, let alone released. This was his introduction into music, and not necessarily wanting this album to be heard by others, which is clear from how expressive it actually is. The lyrics are beautifully crafted, intimate, as they give an insight into his life that demonstrates how much he has been through emotionally already at a young age, from the topics of love, loss and death that run throughout the album. The topic of death and loneliness is what the song “Flesh and Bone” is all about, painting a picture of a life and of a body falling apart after the loss of someone: “My body’s weak / Feel my heart giving up on me / I’m worried it might just be / My body’s weak / Feel my lungs giving up on me / I’m worried it might just be / Something my soul needs”. The simple accompaniment of his guitar used in the album fits perfectly with the strength of the lyrics, as they become the main focus.
[Track List: Prologue, You Don't Know How Lucky You Are, Charon, Oliver Dalston Browning, Sarah Minor, Small Hands, Flesh and Bone, Nests, Not That You'd Even Notice, Party Song]
Birthdays is his second album, released on 25th of February 2013. His lyrics are just as intimate and beautifully shaped as his previous album; this is evident from the first song to introduce the album, Teach Me: "Teach me how to love you like I wrote, And say it like I mean it when I don't". The themes throughout this album are similar to his last, giving a fluency to both albums and a sense of familiarity. The lyrics are still the main focus, just as intimate and expressive as the last, whereas the accompaniment has evolved – slightly less closed off; still playing his guitar but with the addition of a cello, and other voices to harmonise with him throughout certain pieces. The instrumentation and techniques that have been used on this album create an entirely new atmosphere to his last. This atmosphere draws you in, invites you to get lost in his voice and the subject of the song. The first two tracks both speak about unrequited love but from two different angles: the first – Teach Me, and the second – 10am Gare du Nord. Teach Me tells us about a relationship, one that he does not fully return the feelings of his partner, but he’s trying to love them as much as they love him. 10am Gare du Nord, expresses his undying love for his partner and that it isn’t reciprocated but has painfully accepted this, and doesn’t mind waiting as long as it takes for them to feel the same. “This feels right and I’m letting it / And now I know just what to do / Tire of me if you will my dear / I will not tire of you”/“You can leave me if you wish my love, but I’m not going anywhere.” These topics of love and loss are a constant in his albums. Although there is this entire melancholic feeling running through, somehow it creates a sense of relief; it is uplifting at times though it probably should not be. It is uplifting at the amount of emotion and love he feels for the people he writes about: “If you must die, sweetheart, die knowing your life was my life’s best part”.
[Track List: Teach Me, 10am Gare du Nord, You, Lying to You, The Best Today, Don't Swim,Kronos]
Romantic Works is his third album, that was released on June the 16th 2014 - is solely instrumental. As the strengths in his two other albums are his lyrics it was unexpected, but his instrumental music is just as genuine and earnest as the lyrics he has written for the songs prior to this album. Piano and cello dominate the instrumentation of this album. With the same simplistic melodies and textures it is just as familiar as his previous works. The melodies are derived off of simple ostinatos with slow melodic development that from the first listen create this sorrowful soundscape - that are intimate in a way his lyrics are, and recognisable to what he has portrayed in his previous albums. This intimacy is a different kind of expression to his first two albums. Without the lyrics there is no context for the listener to relate to in a literal sense - but this does not take away from the emotion. This album envelopes you in this all-embracing 'aura', that gives you an escape - without the lyrics it can relate to any feeling. It is a conscious expression of the unconscious.
La Naissance is an additional track that was released in an EP after the initial release of the album in June 2014. "Naissance" is the french for birth - new life, a phenomenon, the beginning of a new period, something that has been recently introduced into our world. La Naissance has a slow tempo, with a quiet introduction, the piano and cello drawing us into the piece. This builds up in texture with a violin adding contrapuntal melody lines over the piano and cello before they all join together in a more homophonic texture. The phrases are shaped so that everyone builds up and fades out until the end of this section where it passes to the next. The tempo of this is different, with a standard texture where the violin takes the lead for the melody, the cello as the middle texture which sets the tempo, and the piano accompanying as background finishing off the atmosphere and soundscape set.
[Track list: Elevator Song, Healah Dancing, Field, Josella, Petrichor, Earnestly Yours, Nearly Curtains, Emissary]
In between his albums the release and recording of his albums, he has also released a couple of EPs, the one I prefer is Sweetheart What Have You Done to Us. Including the title track with two others: Kronos and Corpse Roads. I first heard it played on In the Flesh, which incorporates perfectly with the intense themes of love, loss and death. (Spoiler alert: I do recommend the show, it’s amazing) It’s used in the end of season one, where the main character Keiren loses someone who had finally accepted themselves and who he had only just got back into his life. “And I’m so damn scared / Of dying without you / But I’ve come prepared / Resolved for my life to wear a funeral suit / And don’t lie, don’t lie / Don’t lie I know we’re fixing to die / And don’t tell me how / I’ll smile and pretend and won’t show to the crowd”.
Keaton Henson has become one of my favourite artists this year. His consistency within his music is, for me, outstanding, and his music does not disappoint. I definitely recommend listening to all of his music.
Keaton Henson has become one of my favourite artists this year. His consistency within his music is, for me, outstanding, and his music does not disappoint. I definitely recommend listening to all of his music.
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