Israel Nash’s Silver Season
Now I don’t often buy music on spec but when I heard this album playing in the local supermarket (of all places) I had to enquire what it was…I assumed given the track that was playing that it was something new from Neil Young that I’d not heard about.
Silver Season is Nash’s fourth album and, given my penchant for all things Youngesque, I don’t really understand how I missed out on his previous records…they will be being purchased in the very near future on the strength of this outing!
It would be impossible to hear Silver Season and not make at least the slightest reference to the aforementioned Young for the influence is there and it’s there in spades. The way Parlour Song’s vocal plaintively tails off at the very end has Young written all over it. There are steel guitars and there’s more than a hint of the classic “psychedelic” country-tinged sound that came out of Laurel Canyon at the end of the 60s and into the 70s and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this!
L.A. Lately is an absolute belter of a tune that builds and builds… and perhaps here we’re hearing a sprinkling of The Flaming Lips. This is pure unashamed Americana at its best, conjuring lazy dope filled days spent in sunny, incense filled sitting rooms.
I’ve mentioned a couple of different artists here that are clearly influences on Nash, but he makes his tunes his own and he has his own style. The thing is, the music referenced and drawn upon was hugely popular and it was hugely popular with good reason…and it is the same reason Silver Season is a very (very) good record. I can’t stop playing it.
Stuart Smith
