Let’s get the obvious out of the way first; Jose Gonzalez hasn’t taken a sharp left turn with his third record in twelve years, Vestiges and Claws. On the whole, the folksy broodiness remains firmly intact and sonically could easily belong on Veneer and In Our Nature. There are no sudden electronic textures. No synth surprises. If Vestiges and Claws had a pulse, it would be comfortably sedate. Gonzalez has provided us with more of the same. Most artists couldn’t get away with it unscathed. But if it ain’t broke…
It’s no secret that Jose Gonzalez is an exceptional folk artist, but what surprises after all these years is his consistency. Once the campfire melody of Vestiges opener ‘With The Ink Of A Ghost’ kicks in, there’s no denying that Gonzalez is still on fine form. Whilst the record is still as sublime as its predecessors, there are notable nuances. Vestiges is rife with atmospherics, from the tremorous boom of a bass drum to serpentine changes in volume. Lead cut ‘Every Age’ – one of many highlights – feels beyond its minimalist arrangement – the resonating drum almost climatic, like reaching a mountain summit and gazing in wonder at the world below. Gonzalez’s vocal is cavernous, and the simple acoustic strum as revelatory as a morning dawn. These aesthetics are extremely potent, and his music always manages to conjure up all manner of vivid imagery, combined with life-affirming sentiments.
Notably, Vestiges is peppered with questions. ‘Stories We Build, Stories We Tell’ broods “wondering what’s on your mind / wondering what’s driving you”, and ‘What Will’ simply asks “what will it be? / if our will is free?”. This is a settling yet curious record that seems concerned about the bigger picture. These conundrums combined with Gonzalez’s intricate foundation of acoustic and percussion form moments of awe, like the spacious majesty of ‘Every Age’ or the sandy pilgrimage of ‘Afterglow’. Vestiges and Claws is an absorbing record from a genre pro that goes beyond hollow ballads, instead taking simplicity and weaving it around evocative songwriting. Jose Gonzalez envisions this record as being the last instalment of a trilogy (Veneer and In Our Nature before it). I’d gladly wait another eight years for another.
7Bit’s 7 Word Review: Exceptional atmospheric folk from a genre pro.
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