It took a little while for Jon Redfern to break into my psyche, but once he did, it was a first class seat that he claimed for himself, right there in front of the fire with his feet up and a glass of something very pleasant and no plans to leave! My first real contact was at the Reveal Records gig for Amnesty International at Derby at the tail end of last year where he and his band struggled against some strange sound system problems for a while, but were nevertheless impressive enough to make me fork out for this CD, complete with limited edition bonus tracks and a signature. (Behind as ever, me, Gilly was already a firm MySpace friend and earned a warm smile and handshake while I stood quietly behind....)
The CD is a proper package - The cover image is a striking photograph from Iceland and inside there is a booklet with lyrics and photographs - even time signatures - for the 12 tracks on the album. The additional information for the bonus tracks is cleverly included on the usually redundant back side of the rear cover. I mention all this because too many CDs just have a thin bit of paper with a track listing and nothing else - but not this one I'm glad to say. Rant mode off!
The music (at last!) is just a pleasure to listen to. If this CD had been released in the days when vinyl wasn't just the preserve of enthusiasts and dj mixers, then my copy would already be wearing out fast - few days have passed without at least one play, if not more. Jon is a good writer of both tunes and lyrics, and he takes all the credits for these on "May be some time", as well as joint honours for the string arrangements. The CD opens with "I'm still young" which features no less than ten instruments, including Jon's acoustic guitar. This is a big band and Jon has used it to tremendous effect. It's always tempting to review a CD and say this sounds like a mix of so-and-so and someone else, but in Jon Redfern's case it would be a long, long list, there are so many differing styles here, but let me throw in Nick Drake and John Martyn , laced with a smattering of jazz and a pinch of Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band in this colourful curry.
It's no hodge podge though, the CD flows beautifully, and sometimes even seamlessly, from track to track, the music is mature and very well crafted, with no sign of the current trend for using lots of instruments because we've got them, rather than because they fit in. Jon's lyrics too are memorable, intelligent, snappy, sometimes witty - "Couldn't get rich quick, if you paid me" for instance and "Have you ever been searching, all your life" appealed to me. Track 3 "lost", has a lot of percussion, a bass and two guitars played with both hands up on the neck - mildly distorted vocals which might have been too murky and damp sounding, but the whole thing is brought to life by Patrick Durkan's glockenspiel which sparkles over the top.
Those arranged strings open "All this time 1" on track four which also has the brass section in action again - this is a magnificent piece which builds gently but insistently with the 6/8 beat, a train like rhythm and a swirling guitar over the horns and strings before suddenly fading out like "the dream has gone forever". This is followed by a short but exciting instrumental "Demons I", just Jon's guitar, a snare drum and lots of "orchestral percussion" which has a real firework quality to it, and leads into "Demons II" which continues the musical theme, but also has a delicious sax solo which later turns all a bit Pink Floyd for a minute towards the end.
Lyrically, the whole album has a touch of Peter Gabriel's "Salisbury Hill" to it - "I want to live my life, I don't want to live no other" and also "Got to let go of this feeling" - Jon sounds like a man who has made up his mind where to go and he's on his way - and - well I've been putting off trying to describe Jon's voice because it's just his own really - unique, understated yet powerful, stuffed full of feeling - clear - yearning, certainly never dull - tugging at your emotions all the time, whether up or down.
"Can't take the heat" finds Jon in a Youngish mood with a simple, rhythmic piano part, sung over, beautiful Rockets like violins (Lou Peacock), but with the Redfern touch making it something else altogether - a harmonium unpinning the second half of the track giving it depth and warmth. The harmonium is played by Jon's musical partner - multi instrumentalist Patrick Durkan - and Patrick is also responsible for much of the album's distinctive percussion sound, as well as being the other half of the arrangements team. The band also includes a cellist (Sarah Gill) and assorted brass, bass, piano and a cittern. The single - "I love the sun" is a lovely slow 3/4 instrumental with a short vocal in the middle - a hymn for lost friends perhaps is an absolute delight. This almost merges into the concluding track "Somewhere" with another great beat, more long brass chords and a mournful vocal before the mood suddenly brightens, the pace quickens, the glockenspiel shines again, the tension between the pace of the beat and the long restrained brass holds out to the end when suddenly, as if the clockwork has run out, the brass stops and a slowing rhythm section clatters to a halt and thats it. If you are anything like me, you'll be winding it up and listening again, and again, and again.
Of course if you are lucky enough to have one of the 5000 limited edition copies, you still have 5 tracks to listen to which include a "band version" of "can't take the heat", a complete, and aptly named "Departure" and Jon's heart-wrenching version of "Spencer the Rover" which ranks up there with Beckie Unthank's "River man" for poignancy, backed by Jon's gentle guitar and Roger Illingworth's silken tenor sax. This alone makes it worth tracking down a copy of this edition.
Useful links
Amazon
will sell you one hereJon Redfern's MySpace
