Songs for Seagulls - The Priory Session - Vol. I

Recorded in a huge, beautifully designed acoustic space, this recording was created without the use of any modern effects and with a minimum of post-production editing and electronic 'tomfoolery'. The reverb you can hear is the natural reverb of the huge vaulted (stone and wood) acoustic space in which it was recorded. The seagulls you hear are seagulls. The distant voices are distant voices. Consequently, the recordings are dotted with what might easily be described as 'the perfect amount' of technical glitches, misplaced notes, forgotten lyrics and general musically-generated mayhem. And yet, the result is an honest reflection of what can be achieved with genuine dedication, in a quest to hone (and at times master) one of the finest human skills which nature has provided: the art of genuine musicianship. This is the closest to the sound of one man, one instrument and one take in one day as you are likely to find commercially available. At times gutsy, driven and passionate; at times delicate, intimate and thought provoking; but constantly intelligent, insightful and questioning. What's on offer is a sidelong glance at the modern world through the lense of the traditional story-teller; a sequence of timeless 'conditions' and familiar themes peppered with references to a supposedly more developed world. Lyrically, this leads to some fascinating possibilities. There is some beautiful use of poetry, imagery and analogy throughout, constantly blurring the lines between human emotion and the forces of nature; striking at the very heart of boundaries which mankind has strived for eternity to demarcate. Don't just listen to this recording. Close your eyes, step forward, and enter a calm and ancient setting... where you find just one man... with just one musical instrument... an instrument which he can really play. Enormous thanks to Nick Violet of the 'Priory Sessions' for... 'making it so'.