Vessel – Patterns of Blue – Album Review by Killian Laher

Danish artist Anders Mathiasen has recorded under his own name, with the band Murder, and this is his third release under the name Vessel. A somewhat wintry album, the instrumentation is kept fairly sparse as indicated on opener The Clearing, reminiscent of late nineties-era Smog. His singing, the plucked guitar and the not-quite-twinkling piano all convey a certain Callahan-esque reticence.

Other tracks, notably Prophecy Deciphered and Clear As Day subtly echo a very muted National, all tasteful instrumentation and low-key vocals. Perhaps the strongest track is Vials of Wine, where Mathiasen’s breathy singing, picked guitars and especially the gorgeous piano coda, coalesce to evoke Nick Drake. Chasing the Wind has a lazy, effortless feel, and it, like many of the tracks here, perfectly soundtrack staring out the window on a rainy afternoon.

On the ghostly, final track Hail Yr Idols you can almost feel the icy chill from the trebly, shimmering guitar. Joined by distant, rumbling electric guitar, it’s initially more opaque and forbidding than what has gone before, gliding along inscrutably before falling away without warning. Which, of course, is the attraction. An accomplished and cohesive collection, this Vessel, half empty as it might seem, will be a companion for shorter days and longer evenings.

Track List:

1. The Clearing
2. Prophecy Deciphered
3. Vials of Wine
4. Clear As Day
5. Chasing the Wind
6. Into the Wild
7. Theatre for the Blind
8. Hail Yr Idols

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