A Closer Listen
One feels compelled to read the news in order to stay informed, but the news can be overwhelming. The North Yorkshire coast offers a different kind of news: time and tide, bird and brood, beach and crag. On a recent visit to the coast, David Boulter experienced an overwhelming sense of calm, which he translates to this recording. The mini-album (available on sun-colored 10″ vinyl) operates as a mini-travelogue, but also conveys a wealth of wisdom.
“First Light” and “Last Light” are the bookends of the day. The glockenspiel, a common visitor to the album, announces the day like church bells, gentle ambience rising in the background. “Last Light” is lower toned and even warmer, graced by the strings of Calina de la Mare (what a perfect name!), drawing a bow around the illuminated hours. But “The Aurora Borealis (the fox and the owl)” testifies to the presence of light in darkness, a gently twinkling metaphor, the music like a lullaby.
“Sandsend” reveals waves crashing on the shore, the sun breaking through the clouds on a stormy day, the tumult no trouble to the sand. After leaving Sandsend, Boulter “walked up to the ruined Abbey at sunset,” encountering whale bones along the way, the skeleton of a creature, an industry, a parish, all in one. Reflecting on the passage of time, the artist found solace in the hardiness of nature. In effect, the landscape became the new chapel, reflected in clear, confident bells. And in the album highlight and first single “The Cinder Track,” Boulter walks the old rail line, tracing an old path in a new way. The strings swirl around him as he walks, offering solace and peace.
The wonder of these scenes and more is reflected in Frances Castle’s magical cover montage. The rub, of course, is that one eventually must leave the cherished vacation spot and return to normal life, where climate change and war continue unabated. The hope is that one has stored up enough peace to be able to reengage with renewed strength. Whitby offers a respite, a rest stop, only the length of a two-kilometre walk. But sometimes a walk is all one needs to clear one’s head, and a soothing set of music to reset one’s soul. (Richard Allen)
Sat Aug 02 00:01:57 GMT 2025