Review of Enter The Winter Album by Nat Baldwin

Nat Baldwin
Enter The Winter
Album Review

Nat Baldwin Enter The Winter Album

The world seems ready for different sounds, with artists like Joanna Newsom gaining an audience that would probably have been denied her for the past 40 years. Nat Baldwin may well benefit from that broadening of interest, for there is no getting away from just how difficult a listen this is.

At times soaring wonderfully in the manner of Andrew Bird or Thom Yorke, and at others simply atonal mournful blare, most tracks are characterised by a layered claustrophobic soundscape of chant and strings. Unlike an album where this is judged to perfection, like Beirut's Gulag Orkestar, Baldwin relies too heavily on making his double bass the core of the music, whatever else is happening. Interesting in an academic sense, it isn't a world away from drum solos, and there are a lot of points where the skip button needs to be within handy reach. There is clearly something in here, if he can start making albums for the listener, rather than himself.

2.5/5

Mike Rea


Site - http://www.myspace.com/natbaldwin

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