(2022) David Ian Roberts - In Clover  


Review:
It might seem odd that David Ian Roberts titled his latest release In Clover when the phrase means “in times of ease and luxury”—hardly the first words that come to mind given the harrowing period we're only beginning to recover from. The choice seems more understandable, however, when the dates of its writing (2018) and recording (summer 2019) are taken into account. For him and most others, those were simpler times fraught with less anxiety and uncertainty. The album was, in fact, originally planned for a 2020 release but was pushed ahead until now, Roberts deciding to issue From the Harbour instead as it had been recorded during lockdown and felt more representative of the time. Whereas last year's meditative (digital only) releases All Quiet and Energy Stays present Roberts as a guitar-wielding multi-instrumentalist, In Clover sees him operating in full singer-songwriter mode, embracing life in all its prosaic pleasures with positivity and joy. Something as simple as an early morning walk is cause for delight on this appealing set of folk-styled songcraft. Jason Ball's credited with electric guitar on the album, but it's largely an acoustic affair, with Roberts' acoustic guitar, drums, and percussion augmented by the violin, cello, piano, and bass of David Grubb, Kirsten Miller, Daan Temmink, and Aidan Thorne, respectively. Soaring confidently above the instrumental base is Roberts' smooth voice, which brands the material with character and personality. Though much of what appears are first takes, the performances are polished and testify to the strong calibre of musicianship in play. The uplifting tone of the album's instated right away with the replenishing breeziness of “Rushing.” Buoyed by strings, a strutting pulse, and Robert's sparkling acoustic guitar and voice, the song's mood of controlled euphoria is emblematic of the release in general. Contemplative by comparison is “On My Way,” whose serene marriage of strings, acoustic guitar, piano, and voice oozes a Nick Drake vibe that's hard to resist. In fact, there are moments when the release sounds a little bit like a cross between Bryter Layter and REM's Automatic for the People. The luscious quality of those opening songs carries over into the six that follow. Elevated by Grubb's rustic violin and a gently locomotive rhythm, “Stained Glass Dreams” reflects longingly upon dreams of fatherhood, and Roberts' melodic gifts are well-accounted for in the “simple love song” (his words) “I'll Be Around.” Note as well the tinge of folk psychedelia that seeps into “High As the Sun,” the song noteworthy too for Roberts' striking guitar flourishes. The songwriting's excellent throughout, but it's “Turns to Gold” that perhaps hits hardest, due in part to the alternation between softer and harder sections (a moment or two even arises where the distance separating the vocalizing of Roberts and Michael Stipe starts to seem very small indeed). Without wishing to treat the project too reductively, the material on In Clover could be described as UK pastoral folk of an impressively high order.— textura.org


       


Track List:
01 - Rushing
02 - On My Way
03 - Stained Glass Dreams
04 - Turns to Gold
05 - Between the Eyes
06 - Waltzer
07 - I’ll Be Around
08 - High As the Sun


Media Report:
Genre: folk-rock, indie-folk
Country: Cardiff, UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits


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