BIRTHDAYS

Keaton Henson is a true artist. That's it. He writes slow sad music, rock music, classical symphonies, poetry books, drawings and paintings...and with each piece you see a bigger glimpse into the seemingly tortured soul of a reclusive genius. This album touches on a lot of those instances, with the first half of the album somber and reflective, and near of the end of "Don't Swim," a powerful crescendo with full band comes in and pounds the listener. This marks a turning point to a more rock/energetic performance. All the songs are wonderful. Buy the album. Support the artist.

I bought this album for my sibling who is obsessed with Keaton. I listened to it with them for the first time and cried because of how beautiful the songs are. I really relate to a lot of Keaton Hensons music and he is now one of my favorite artists. If you’re into indie and emotional music that makes you think, I would definitely recommend this album and Keaton Hensons music in general!

There were already bents and warps on it, very sad & dissapointed but the CD itself was fine which is what matters. Keaton Henson is simply a must have

It is an honor of the highest order to be given the chance to share in another person's most private thoughts. In Keaton Henson's case, we are being shown his broken heart - what an honor! I have listened to this album over and over, and the intimacy doesn't diminish one little bit. He just keeps digging deeper into his pain and, in the most beautiful, painful music I have ever heard, he shows us the pieces of his heart. In the best of circumstances he is incredibly shy - almost incapacitated by it - yet he is willing to step out into the world, in order to share the beauty of his pain with us. While I am sorry he has suffered so in life, I am blessed to be witness to, and recipient of the resulting work of art his music is. If you get the chance, go to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert on You Tube and watch Keaton's show. It will both bless, and break your hearts. I must go now, I think I will listen to some more of this man's heart.

this album comes off understated at first and then really grows on you. it starts out quiet, then gets a bit louder in the middle, and then back to quiet by the end. wonderful consistency throughout though, each song feeding into the next. the minute it ends, i start it over again.

I would say 4 and a half. I like it a lot. I am very impressed by this young singer songwriter. He was room to grow, and I have every expectation that he will.

I could listen to this album all day long. Perfect for playing on a record player (you get a CD as well!). The album is so personal and the handwritten lyrics make you feel like you're sitting down with Keaton and drinking tea while he strums the guitar. Beautiful.

My mother listened to my disc while I was driving and fell in love with the music. Bought one as a gift for her.

amazing album sounds great on vinyl

Voici un jeune homme Anglais né en 1988 et qui semble sorti tout droit d’une autre époque. Être fragile, dandy sensible, Keaton Henson est un roseau blanc battu par les vents. Depuis sa tour d’ivoire perdue dans les bois, il nous offre pour trésor le témoignage d’un cœur plus cassant que du verre. Avec sa barbe épaisse, son visage creusé comme une roche rongée par des pluies diluviennes et ses yeux caves, ce jeune poète échevelé aux allures de clochard céleste ou de personnage dostoïevskien ne sera jamais une étoile du rock. C’est un oiseau blessé qui cherche à retrouver son nid, un livre déchiré en quête de sa reliure divine. Ainsi que je l’ai lu quelque part, les concerts sont une épreuve presque insurmontable pour ce jeune homme à fleur de peau : sujet à des crises de panique fréquentes, ce n’est pas tant sur scène qu’il donne à voir son feu et ses larmes mais bien dans ses disques. Cet album a comme un goût de gâteau d’anniversaire qu’on passerait tout seul, isolé dans sa chambre, loin du bruit et des cotillons de la fête. Keaton Henson est un être lucide et tourmenté. Les peines d’amour, les amitiés déçues, la mort sont autant de sujets qui affleurent en ronces rouges du sein de ses chansons. Solitaire, il fuit les foules comme un homme plongé dans des eaux en furie tenterait de se dérober à la noyade. Son chant ne ment pas. “Chanter est façon d’être nu”, ainsi que le chante Jean-Louis Murat, autre grand solitaire. Il y a dans la voix du jeune Keaton Henson une blessure qu’on aimerait panser, une plaie sur laquelle on souhaiterait pouvoir déposer un peu de baume fraternel. Voici des paroles, issues de Beekeeper : « You all say I’ve crossed a line / But the sad fact is I’ve lost my mind / Because I’m just gettin’ started, let me offend / The devils got nothing on me my friend / All I want is to be left alone / Tact from me is like blood from a stone… » Le poète français, Pierre Reverdy, le disait déjà avec force : « S’agit-il de distraire ? Point du tout. Il s’agit d’émouvoir. Ce qui n’est rien de moins que faire jaillir la source du rocher. » Puissiez-vous être sensible à cette source d’eau et de feu mêlés, à cette fleur de peau qui, sans jamais rien compter, nous fait don de ses pétales déchirés. Thibault Marconnet 17/03/2014

An amazing album from an amazing musician. I am very happy to have bought it. The track "You" is one of the best songs I ever heard. Live life to its fullest.

Keaton Henson's debut album, Dear, was a delicate heartfelt album of one man, his guitar and a lot of pain and care. This follow up is the sound of him expanding that sound slightly. Its almost like listening to a painfully shy man emerge, gain confidence and then retreat again. Like the man himself? Perhaps. But during this album that's the journey you will hear. Early on the sound is eerily similar to the first album. Electric Guitar, that voice and not much else on Teach Me and the beautiful 10AM, Gare Du Nord. In fact it comes as a total shock when listening to The Best Today that the delicate approach is enhanced by drums and more noise. It feels that the man himself wants to try and mix things up and Don't Swim follows this and does the job. Starting in the usual mode of vocal and guitar Henson then decides to throw in a loud and brash guitar and drums instrumental piece towards the end of the track. It sounds like something almost Post Rock like. Its a wonderful addition. Kronos then swaggers into view and could be on any rock album, snarling riffs and loud quiet approach this could be grunge music. Or maybe something Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith or similar company would consider too brash for their albums when they were making them. The Beekeeper has Banjo, drums and keyboards and sounds a little like some Fleetwood Mac tracks in its composition and chorus - think mid 70's country influenced Fleetwood Mac here though. Gradually though the noise and mood recedes and whilst Sweetheart, What Have You Done To Us has a return to the more introspective approach before horns take over. The deluxe edition contains three extra tracks, two quite quiet and the rather fantastic If I Don't Have To which is another of the new approach numbers. These three extra tracks are as good as anything else here so I would definitely invest the bit extra if you can. As a second album this is a treat. Its definitely a step forward, a very interesting one too. There is an air of confidence and belief here. It will be interesting to see whether he retreats again or moves more towards the approach of drums and horns alongside his guitar. However, this is as good as the first album and I never thought I would say that.

Ich bin absolut begeistert. Hatte den Song beekeeper im TV gehört und daraufhin nach Song und Singer gesucht. Das gesamte Album ist sehr chillig, obwohl ich bei den Texten häufig denke, dass depressive Menschen oder diejenigen, die sich gerade in einem Lebenstief befinden, diesen Stil besser nicht anhören sollten. Besonders sprechen mich Gare du Nord und you an, neben beekeeper eben, das der einzige von zwei Songs ist, der etwas mehr Elan und verve aufweist. Fazit: Absolut zu empfehlen.