MP3: José González - Down the line
José González has lost the element of surprise, so the new album "In our nature" might seem slightly disappointing at first. Same lofi production, same instrumentation 'cept for a slight bit more percussion and backing vocals. There appears to be very little progression on the surface. Dig deeper though and you might be surprised - all the talk about "In our nature" being darker and far angrier than its predecessor are true. The songwriting is stronger and more consistent as well. It's easy to let "Heartbeats" (and other covers) overshadow José's own self-penned material, but his songs stand fine on their own - there's a reason I chose "Crosses" for my first "Reader's companion" comp. José does not fit the stereotype of melancholy/depressed singer/songwriter and that's that. Nick Drake comparisons begone!
"Down the line" is the first song on the new record to grab my attention, mostly because I instantly recognized it from the last time I saw José perform live. I love the way the composition builds on the steady strum of that high chord and gentle slap-back pitter-patter rhythm. "Don't let the darkness eat you up." A song of hope? Reassurance? Or a warning?
José González - Down the line