The Bone Carver. And Also The Trees

And Also The Trees, Inkberrow, Worchestershire 1979, recently released its 14th album. Old geezers repeating themselves over and over? Even if that is the case, when this repeating is done in such a glorious and warm way, who am I to complain?!

With The Bone Carver the band releases an album that defies time and place with its new album. The Bone Carver certainly is rooted in the 1980s. Dark new wave, some Roxy Music mach II, mixed with Tindersticks and Nick Cave with some pepper left within him. Drummer Paul Hill is present in all the right ways and does not need some pepper at all.

Hill's drumming gives the stately and almost aloof singing of Simon Huw Jones the contrast it needs. Between the two are the mostly warm sounds of the other three members on guitar, bass and certainly organ. Jones almost croons in a way that brings to mind Bryan Ferry and Nick Cave immediately.

The combination results in music that is extremely serious. Each songs demands listening and when accommodated starts to reveal their inner beauty. Especially the role of "newby", since 2015, Colin Ozanne captures my ears with his warm keyboards but especially his clarinet solo's, not your average instrument for a (by now post, post, post) post punk band. (The same goes for a mandoline instead of a guitar of course.) Ozanne's contributions underscore Jones' singing no little.

Promo photo

Opener 'In A Bed In Yugoslavia', an impossibility to achieve in 2022, underscores it all in the intro. Over the guitar repeating a riff, the clarinet, overdubs and all, comes in, almost as if announcing a modern classical composition. When the rest of the band joins in, the song receives a different direction. A pop ballad of power, bassist Grant Gordon tosses his visiting card into the mix and stuts the song. The song grows ever bigger without losing its focus, with guitarist Justin Jones, yes a brother, joining in full force. And Also The Trees had me by the end of the song when it returns to the opening, now with Simon Huw Jones singing over it.

'In A Bed In Yugoslavia' can rightly be seen as a sort of blueprint for The Bone Carver. The album slowly but surely lays down this stately, majestic atmosphere without ever allowing me to let go. And yes, this is music with it origins in the 1980s but with a warmth and attitude that makes it extremely good to listen to in 2022. And Also The Trees is a name to watch out for this year.

Wout de Natris

You can order The Bone Carver here:

https://www.gentlemenrecordings.com/product/and-also-the-trees-the-bone-carver-digital-cd-vinyl/