David Kilgour’s latest release The Far Now (Merge Records) has rightfully made him one of New Zealand’s most veritable folk-pop heroes. He may have started out in music with the punk/rock ensemble The Clean alongside his brother Hamish in 1979,but in the span of three decades, he has traded in rushing tempos and hard rock edges with a more tranquil and reposing setting.
His latest release shows the aquatic melodic shimmer of the late John Lennon’s solo work and the empyreal folk-pop landscaping of Harpers Bizarre. It's as if you're stepping into a time machine on this record and going back to the early ’70s hippie-folk scene, when melodies were driven with a peace of mind and the instrumentation was stripped down to a set of repetitive chords quilted into serene, husker du pastorals.
The songs are reflective and usher an ambient folk-pop excursion. but not in the way of the popular James Blunt, Spoon, or John Rolston, but more in the vein of harbingers like Gilbert O’Sullivan, Leon Russell, and The Beatles Strawberry Fields stage. The songs are greatly concentrated on the acoustic guitar riffs which are sometimes underscored by ultra plush melodic synth phrases. The rhythm sections are very subtle and keep a sedate pitch while Kilgour’s vocals, noticeable showing a Lennon key, are vital to the peaceful mood of the numbers.
Songs like Sun Of God and Under Cloud have a succor effect in the relaxing guitar rotations and softly psychedelic synths. The country-folk styling on BBC World and Yenisei are reflective of Robinella showing Americana tones in the folk twining. There is an Alison Kraus pillowy softness in Kilgour’s songs like I Cut My Heart Out Once and Too Long From Me, and lush acoustic flights ringing with romantic sensations on the tune Donna And Jeff. The final track Out Of The Moment is a peaceful instrumental piece with serene sessions of brushed drum strokes and clips of light, breezy acoustic strings.
The album is filled with tender movements, soft music phrases and reflective vocals. Kilgour’s brand of folk-pop shows influences of John Lennon but his modern country-folk medleys seem greatly more contemporary paved with paths reminiscent of AlisonKrauss. His album The Far Now is one that will make people take notice of him in a new light and find serenity in its soft fluid motions with healing elixir strings.
