English version
Whether one is an artist or not, there is always a part of oneself that is better described or translated somewhere else. A filmed scene, a written passage or a melody that resembles us. Although this can lead to a strong emotion and a satisfactory feeling of complicity, it can also destabilize us. By listening deeper to Elliott Smith’s work, Nick Talbot called into question his commitment, his career and his art, as he told us more than a year ago (interview). Following the divine Flashlight Seasons, that in my opinion is one of the wonders of the past decade, Gravenhurst released three albums and an EP of exquisite quality, even if its post rock or noisy moods have not always been appreciated by all. The last LP, The Western Lands, infinitely full of riches and definitely worth regular visits, opened a doubtful parenthesis highlighted by the white page syndrome. This necessary questioning led to The Ghost In Daylight. If, like I did, you fell in love with the artist in 2004 from the first notes of Flashlight Seasons’ opening track Tunnels, you will appreciate most of the songs of this last record. As on the said reference album, the arrangements are largely sober like on In Miniature, The Ghost Of Saint Paul that was introduced to us last year during an acoustic tour, and the marvelous Three Fires, Fitzrovia and The Foundry. All titles are obviously highly successful and get us into a delightful past. While Nick confessed without hesitation to feeling more like a guitarist than a singer, it is hard not to swoon at this divine and fragile voice on which his success largely depends, even if his favourite instrument and all The Ghost In Daylight sonorities are once more sensibly used. But attributing only a nostalgic purpose to this album would seriously underestimate its value as well as Nick Talbot’s great qualities as a songwriter and arranger. The magic happens as soon as the cyclic introduction of Circadian fills the room with delightful sounds. This feeling is amplified by the redundant splendour of the single The Prize, a Gravenhurst Grand Cru, a beautifully long-drawn-out song that proudly swims against the current. Gravenhurst proves his love for sound loops with a few Carousel turns and especially with the UFO Islands, a long and haunting piece dedicated to the late Trish Keenan, which shows that Nick is going through a perfect phase of change and is definitely not contemplating his glorious past.
Photos
Vidéo
Tracklist
Gravenhurst – The Ghost In Daylight (Warp, 2012)
1. Circadian
2. The Prize
3. Fitzrovia
4. In Miniature
5. (Carousel Interlude)
6. Islands
7. The Foundry
8. Peacock
9. The Ghost Of Saint Paul
10. Three Fires