“You may look at me
and think the Lord employed a fool” opines West London troubadour RW Hedges
as the introductory line to his first properly released album. By the end of
this enchanting record nothing could be further from the truth.
Hedges’ vintage sounding songs, sturdily crafted with
memorable melodies, are mined from similar ground to the best of Richard
Hawley, leaving collaborator Luca Nieri from labelmates The Monks Kitchen, free
to adorn them with glimmering accompaniment and a gorgeous production recalling
the first Fleet Foxes album.
These woody outdoor lullabies twinkle in the stars as references
to sea and sailors, booze and opium, give a gently woozy and hallucinatory
effect. ‘Signal Man’, based on a spooky Dickensian story, echoes down the line
with the ghost of Glen Campbell and ‘Best Laid Plans’ waltzes like a tipsy Ray
Davies in reflective mood.
Full of understated grandeur, The Hunters In The Snow, is a magical collection.
This review first appeared in Shindig magazine. The Hunters In The Snow is released by Wonderful Sound, out now.
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