It perhaps isn’t much of a surprise to see Nate Hall putting his name to a folk record. His work with the band US Christmas has always had undercurrents of traditional music underneath its layers of psychedelic contortion. Here those influences are taken by Hall and, although there are still elements of the sound for which he is already respected, this is mostly an alarmingly stripped back record.
With the spectres of Dylan and Van Zandt hanging large over him, Nate recorded this album in one evening…and it really shows. Sometimes the brilliance of music is as simple as sitting down and just playing, something 'A Great River' proves to be true. There is a depth and intensity to this album that befits the hazy story of its creation. Perhaps most symbolic of this is the pair of 'Night Theme' and 'Electric Night Theme', two instrumental pieces which act as the perfect psych-folk bridges between Hall’s powerful vocals. You can just picture the starry night sky as the notes dance and weave.
Hall’s vocals and guitar playing are, predictably, at their best here. His delicate touch with his instrument is matched only by the subtle potency of his vocal performance. He has the strength of the folk legends whose influence he has clearly taken, but also carries his own compositions along with a distinctive tone. This tone makes his Van Zandt cover, 'Kathleen',and his working of the traditional ballad 'When the Stars Begin to Fall', unique takes on old classics. Out of his own new songs on this album meanwhile, closer 'A Great River' rivals 'Dark Star' for being the strongest moment.
With 'A Great River', Nate Hall has signalled that he is not only a great creator of experimental music with his band but also a fine singer-songwriter and solo performer. It is not hard to see, upon listening to this record, why Neurot co-founder and Neurosis co-frontman Scott Kelly has said that “Nate's work shows a depth of heart and a pure channelling that you won’t come across 10 times in your life”. Probably not that many people will hear this album, but those that do will surely come to treasure it.
'A Great River' is out now via Neurot Recordings.
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With the spectres of Dylan and Van Zandt hanging large over him, Nate recorded this album in one evening…and it really shows. Sometimes the brilliance of music is as simple as sitting down and just playing, something 'A Great River' proves to be true. There is a depth and intensity to this album that befits the hazy story of its creation. Perhaps most symbolic of this is the pair of 'Night Theme' and 'Electric Night Theme', two instrumental pieces which act as the perfect psych-folk bridges between Hall’s powerful vocals. You can just picture the starry night sky as the notes dance and weave.
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