Richard Hawley – False Lights from the Land EP

 

False Lights from the Land is rather more niche than any of Hawley’s previous releases, having been inspired exclusively by “the sea” and its gloomy charms, meaning that very particular circumstances are required to fully appreciate it. Shallow Brown, for example, is a West Indian shanty performed a cappella with gospelesque backing from Smoke Fairies, beautifully showcasing Hawley’s smoky tones, but a pop song it most certainly is not. Elsewhere, the EP is dominated by the magnificent Remorse Code, even if its inclusion is somewhat puzzling since it's lifted straight from Truelove’s Gutter, Hawley’s latest full-length. Throughout these four tracks, though, the quality of musicianship is stunning, despite the apparent peculiarities of the Sheffield troubadour's selection. [Mark Holland]