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Singer-songwriter, Indie, en nog veel meer. Prachtig.

When things begin to stagnate, the answer is to shake things up, which is what Zach Berkman needed to do on The Heart of. At the end of a long-term relationship, inertia had set in. Stuck in his old ways, working on his own was no longer an answer. The solution was found in an old family farmhouse that had fallen into disrepair even before it had been bought over 50 years ago. Bats had taken over the attic, yet its high ceilings had an interesting effect. Berkman admits, “It sounded better than it smelled.” With some insulation and pine panelling, minus the bats, the attic became a recording studio, and over four days, a record was born.

With the help of friend and co-producer Ron Pope, a band of Justin Glasco, Rachel Ries and Jeff Malinowski, they spent 96 hours together creating the performances making up The Heart of. Exuding gentleness, Sleep Tight plays out memories as it builds from a haunting mix of notes on guitar, with bits of banjo and piano spelling out the sadness of a relationship that couldn’t last. Along the way, the song builds in volume as more cracks appear.

Bristling with energy, the fingerpicked My Old Friend still has a chill to it. “My old friend we meet again/ You’ve been left out in the cold coming from the snow,” Berkman sings. It’s a tender dance, but one tinged by the time that’s past. The chill that comes from the lyrics isn’t reflected in Berkman’s voice, but that’s often how things are; we want to be one thing but just can’t pull it off anymore. That’s the effect that time can have.

The anatomy of relationships often gets reflected in a mirror that tends to make people appear kinder over time. Alone doesn’t really hold out hope for the future amidst the acoustic guitars, yet there are those moments when we can still acknowledge the points of the subtle dance shaping relationships, “If you need me I will be close/ Just don’t want you to be alone.” Despite the pain people endure, they can still be human.

Mastering the interior dramas of relationships is never easy and probably never ends. In that complex dance of human existence, there seems to be an endless search for connection. Berkman understands those moments that play out and the emotions that continually seem to haunt the species. He explains, “Tell The Truth is about saying one thing too many, while Fool Me Once is about saying one too few.” It always seems impossible to say the right words and use the proper amount of them.

Human nature may die in a vacuum, yet as Zach Berkman reveals on The Heart of it can just as easily die of exposure to the air. Life is a most intricate dance, and the steps are rarely done with precision despite our best efforts. To keep dancing may be all one can do.

Tracks:
01 - Sleep Tight
02 - My Old Friend
03 - Lie Awake
04 - Fooled Me Once
05 - On the Vine
06 - Alone
07 - Get Found
08 - Turn It All Around
09 - The Way
10 - Empire
11 - Always Far
12 - Settle

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xunb5kA-Huo