Tuesday 26 January 2016

Album: Jacob Faurholt - Super Glue



Jacob Faurholt - Floating In Space


Info: From Copenhagen, Denmark, songwriter Jacob Faurholt has just released his new album, Super Glue, along with single 'Floating In Space' (above video). Faurholt has been creating music under his own name and under the moniker of Crystal Shipsss for over 10 years, with this latest release produced by Brian Batz and drawing on his lo-fi and 90's indie influences. 

According to Faurholt; "Super Glue is basically a break up album. It’s a record that deals with the emotions that follow, when you have to say goodbye to a person you have shared a big part of your life with. But it’s also a record that comes to terms with the madness and points forward. The song “Future Wife” is an example of that. Stylistically the album draws on everything from haunting ballads to melodic noisy rock, all wrapped up in Brian Batz' atmospheric production. When choosing an aesthetic path for the album, Faurholt drew inspiration from old favorites such as Grandaddy and Sparklehorse."

I was immediately taken in by the album's opening track and the beautifully animated video for 'Floating In Space'. I hear the comparisons to Band of Horses in it's solemn but ethereal tone, but also a small hint of Bon Iver's Volcano Choir. It's a heart-wrenching piece of music with other-worldly harmonies and spacial electronic keys, probably the most moving track I've heard so far this year, that feeling aided massively by the visuals.


Super Glue Jacob Faurholt


The album's title track follows, an upbeat and indie-drenched number with a Joy Division-esque post-punk drum beat and Lou Reed vibes, at this point I'm thoroughly enjoying Super Glue and am very curious as to what the remainder of the songs hold in store. On third track 'Guided By Voices' I should be confused, here Faurholt adopts a more stripped down and simple approach, musically and vocally it has a folk feel. At this early stage of Super Glue there has already been a lot of variety, normally something that would come across as disjointed, but his vocals strangely carry everything with a certain commanding order. 

Jacob Faurholt - Super Glue


Next up is a lovely short slice of new wave darkness with 'Holy Mother', a truly modern and warped nod to 80's synth that is disturbingly beautiful once again. 'Pictures of You' is, similar to 'Guided By Voices', a low key affair, a gentle ballad with yearning vocals and harmonies with a message of acceptance and a vision of a happy future for a former lover. 

'Stars' and 'Sad World' reach deep into raw emotional territory, proceedings are kept simple but enveloped in a comforting soundscape of pianos and orchestral backing vocals. You worry a little that Faurholt may be ending the album on an elongated march of despair as final track 'One Last Goodbye' arrives, and the song title adds to this apprehension. Thankfully this doesn't occur, it's a spacey and determined closer, drawing many of the indie elements of the albums first half in to one place.

There are some truly amazing moments on Super Glue, in particular on the opening third, there wasn't one track that I didn't enjoy to some degree and my only complaint would be I would have liked to have seen more of what was happening on tracks like 'Holy Mother' and 'Super Glue' itself, even if it meant the addition of just one more song on the album. Overall a really great and at times mesmerising collection of songs, and I think 'Floating in Space' will stay with me long into 2016 and beyond. 

You can by Super Glue on vinyl, CD and digital copy here http://jacobfaurholt.bandcamp.com/


Look / Like / Listen & Follow:

Website: http://www.jacobfaurholt.com/

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