Keaton Henson - Kindly Now
9/10
Having produced several albums across genres and a graphic novel as well as a book of poetry, Keaton Henson is the rare kind of artist whose creativity seems to extend to nearly every medium without losing the power to impress. In all of these pursuits, Henson is known for an intense emotional rawness that can sometimes feel uncomfortably intimate, but holds a compelling beauty nonetheless. Returning to the singer-songwriter vibe of his earlier records Birthdays and Dear, Kindly Now has this sort of fraught intensity in spades.
Henson’s voice is impossibly delicate, but also possesses a strength that allows these tracks to really build. After showcasing his diverse musical talents on the purely instrumental album Romantic Works in 2014, the masterful piano and strings elements that are ever-present in Kindly Now come as no surprise. It’s difficult to identify individual stand out tracks on this album, as the whole thing seems to blend so seamlessly together into one cohesive whole. That being said, I really love the intro track, March, and the closing track, How Could I Have Known, the latter of which is perfect if you fancy crying into your pillow.
9/10
