“beautifully dark hypnotic”
…a relaxing spell with Steve Abel ‘Heart Of Misery (The Bough)’...
“beautifully dark hypnotic”
…a relaxing spell with Steve Abel ‘Heart Of Misery (The Bough)’ (Kins’land) is a necessary release. Mixing his beautifully dark hypnotic voice with Jolie Holland is a master stroke as they compliment each other perfectly on a gorgeous track which continues Abel’s haunting work as a husky troubadour. A quick closure of the eyes transports you down into the dark misty sewers, but always with the light in your view.
“Simple and moving – like all the best music should be.”
Steve Abel – Heart of Misery (Kins’land)
Steve Abel looks like he could do with a good feed but that doesn’t let him waste his doleful voice shouting for burgers down at McDonalds. Au contraire, ‘Heart of Misery’ is a beautiful country tinged ballad infused with feeling and antique violin sound. Simple and moving – like all the best music should be.
- SB, TastyFanzine.org.uk (9 Oct 2009)
“Stirs, swirls and seduces”
Steve Abel ‘Heart of Misery (The Bough)’ (Kins’land). One of our greatest regrets this year – and there have been many – is our recent realisation that we never committed pen to paper or more precisely finger to PC key stroke in cobbling together an appraisal of Mr Abel’s recent ‘flax happy’ full length. Its been much a puzzle for us given that when said album arrived in our gaff its became for a while the chosen soundtrack with which we wound down to in the wee small hours. Comprising of four cuts this EP gathers together a solitary cut from his ‘little death’ debut and a trio of gems from the aforementioned ‘flax happy’ – the sounds within all at once stirring, tender, intimate and crushed. Veering between the mellowing and melancholic, Abel’s nearest reference marker is first and foremost the criminally overlooked June Panic none more so is this the case than on the head bowed ghostly glow of darkly neglect ’gone’ with its early career Black Heart Procession trappings, measured and elegantly daubed with the same richly vibrant intimacy that loitered amid the grooves of Panic’s ’horror vacui’ set from a few years ago. That said elements of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen in his more considered and wounded moments are never to far from the mix, the former certainly the subject of nods via ’sweetheart’ though it’s the chemistry brought to bear by the book-ending duets with Jolie Holland that seal this set and make it something of an essential purchase. ’heart of misery’ may just prove to be one of the saddest things you’ve ever heard, there’s something beautifully broken about this tear swept lip trembler, Abel’s ever watchful melancholic murmurs transfused with the spirit of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash and tempered by the same resigned resonance of Leonard Cohen after a failed happy pill detox wither in the weeping wind drifts of the sympathetic string arrangements with Ms Holland’s supportive softly purred Texan tones shimmering softly with a sepia streaked timelessness. yet in all fairness it’s the parting ’cinders in the sun’ that’ll floor you in just one brief listen, beneath its hitherto aching cello and fiddle braids a warmth filled gospel tweaked road folk blues stirs, swirls and seduces.
Mark Barton
“Flax Happy seeps stealthily into the mind and takes root”
Review of FLAX HAPPY by: R2 Rock ‘n’ Reel Magazine UK – July 2009 (more…)
“This is extremely meaningful music that must be evaluated like all great, irresolute music”
Review of FLAX HAPPY by: This Metal Sky, Jeff Thiessen, June 2009 (more…)
“Equal parts disturbing and lullaby-esque. Consummately relaxed danger”
Review of FLAX HAPPY by: Pop Musicology UK – 18th May 2009 (more…)
“Simple and moving – like all the best music should be.”
Steve Abel – Heart of Misery (Kins’land) Steve ...
“Stirs, swirls and seduces”
Steve Abel ‘Heart of Misery (The Bough)’ (Kins’land). One of our greatest regrets...
“Flax Happy seeps stealthily into the mind and takes root”
Review of FLAX HAPPY by: R2 Rock ‘n’ Reel Magazine UK – July 2009 * * *...
“This is extremely meaningful music that must be evaluated like all great, irresolute music”
Review of FLAX HAPPY by: This Metal Sky, Jeff Thiessen, June 2009 “This is...
“Equal parts disturbing and lullaby-esque. Consummately relaxed danger”
Review of FLAX HAPPY by: Pop Musicology UK – 18th May 2009 There’s a vein in...