Diamond Mine [Import]

4.5 stars

You may sense some frustration and impatience creeping in here but is it not time that all glad receivers of great music at last pay their dues and respect to "King Creosote' AKA Kenny Anderson? Having loved last years very polished "Side Show" by The Burns Unit consisting of nearly all the great luminaries of the East Nuek musical community in Scotland that is the Fence Collective, and Anderson's previous solo outing 2007's delightful pop epic "Bombshell" (check out "Nooks" and "Home in a sentence") it is becoming wearisome to keep stressing his talent. Yet he deserves to fill academies around the country and the Atlantic and also be lauded as a very special songwriter. This new album "Diamond Mine" has been seven years in gestation and sees our Scottish favourite teaming up with top keyboardist Jon Hopkin who has played with Brian Eno and that little know beat combo led by C. Martin and known as Coldplay. The album is described by Anderson as a "soundtrack to a romanticised version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village", and what is fascinating is that the sounds and noise of this backdrop are threaded into the music. Thus the record opens with the lovely piano instrumental "First Watch" recorded over the backdrop of the voices of local people gently clanking of cups and plates in a church tea in a Fife village. It works perfectly as a sort of Scottish Thomas Newman style soundtrack and segues into the equally wonderful acoustic strumming of "John Taylors Month Away" where we encounter the plaintive vocal style of Anderson. It is infused with his gentle Fife accent that tells the tale of a conversation he had with a local fisherman in his tiny village home of Crail in the North East of Fife who Anderson admits "shattered every romantic notion I'd ever had of a life at sea". He did not shatter however Anderson's fine song craft and the song fades out over almost Radiohead style synths and euphoric voices. One would think all this beauty difficult to top but on the truly brilliant highlight "Bats in the attic" Anderson and Hopkin achieve this feat. It is ostensibly a song about the onset of middle age where Anderson regrets the "silver in my sideburns" and a "diet which is going to be the death of me". We find his heartbreaking tenor centre stage accompanied by lovely support from a female vocalist and Hopkins note perfect piano backdrop. As the song fades out with the repeated lines "its such a waste of all that we have" you feel the passing regret and genuine emotion. It is followed by the six minute plus of gentle melancholy set out in "Running on fumes" which demonstrates Anderson's way with words and fine acoustic picking guitar style.

The albums last three songs include "Bubble" which is infused with almost James Blake style effects and Hopkins comes into his own with lifting piano soundscapes which build to the songs crescendo. Penultimate song" Your own spell" is possibly closest to some of the balladry on "Bombshell" and contains an authentic Scottish feel to its glorious 3 minutes. Lastly the rather unsettling "With your young voice" repeats a refrain throughout and if truth be told is the one weak point on an otherwise glorious and concise album consisting of a suite of songs which screams out texture and depth. Music as an art form can often transfer the essence of place into sound more vividly than a picture or photo. No one who listens to "Diamond Mine" will fail to notice its inspiration or origins but more importantly you will come away enthralled by this luminous music. Well done Kenny and Jon, a true diamond.

When I listened to NPR's half-year review of music of 2011 back in July, I heard two of the hosts say that this album was their favorite of the year so far. And as for me, it's my favorite album of the year for all of 2011.

This album is meant to be paired with a serious stereo system or top of the line headphones/earbuds. The first track opens inside a restaurant, and the music brings you right there. You can taste the soup. And then the piano opens up beautifully, paired with the sounds of the restaurant.

From there, the album goes from one incredible track to the next. King Creosote lays down a stunning vocal on each and every track. And Jon Hopkins pulls it all together with amazing song writing and editing. This album is an incredible achievement in their musical partnership that I hope continues on.

The third track "Bats in the Attic" is far and away my favorite track of the year.

As 2011 winds down, I expect to see this little album on many mainstream best of lists. Give yourself a treat and buy this one. It's a great album for a winter night by the fireplace.

Enjoy

This is an amazing work of art. I have listened to this over and over and it just gets better. Beautiful,calm,friendly and catchy. Whatmore can you ask.STRONGLY RECOMMEND.

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