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[one_half last=”yes”]GRAVENHURST
Offerings: Lost Songs 2000-2004
Release-Date: 01.12.2014
Label: Warp Records
Tracklist:
01. The Citizen
02. Entertainment (Demo)
03. The Diver (Demo)
04. Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm?
05. Gas Mask Days
06. Romance
07. For Erin
08. Abilene/Still Water Outro
09. Offerings
10. Return to Stapleton Road
NBHAP Rating: 3,6/5
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Christmas is close
Nick Talbot is a nice man. Instead of just re-releasing his acclaimed 2004 record Flashlight Seasons and its accompanying EP Black Holes In The Sand with the usual fuss he also gives the fans of his alter ego GRAVENHURST the chance to experience some previously unheard material from his personal archives. And although Offerings might not replace a fully shaped original GRAVENHURST record it really helps to reignite your love with this man’s wonderful songwriting (if that love ever run out in the past years).
Hidden gems
Although the reduced acoustic piece The Citizen opens the compilation it’s not just a selection of this kind of songs. The demo version of Entertainment, a track which Talbot produced back in 2006, for a small German movie is already worked out quite well. The same goes for the hypnotic Romance but besides that the songs keep it simple. The demo version of The Diver (from Flashlight Seasons) is reduced hypnotic beauty that stretches itself over seven and a half minutes.
Out of words
Four out of ten tracks from Offerings are instrumentals. While you totally understand why Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm? and Abilene/Still Water Outro weren’t never really meant for an official release, the playful For Erin as well as the sweet Return to Stapleton Road prove that Talbot’s work doesn’t necessarily need words to work. The sampler is a very interesting insight into the working process of GRAVENHURST and a lovely appetizer for the follow-up to 2012’s The Ghost In Daylight which will hopefully happen not that far in future.
Although not being masterpieces Nick Talbot’s ‘Offerings’ are a lovely little gift for all GRAVENHURST fans to bridge the gap until the next regular LP.
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