In 2004, Warp Records signed a UK-based singer-songwriter named Nick Talbot.
Under the moniker of Gravenhurst, Talbot released two albums with Warp that year: Flashlight Seasons and Black Holes in the Sand.
On Dec. 2, 2014, in honor of Talbot’s 10-year anniversary of work with the label, Warp is reissuing the two foundational albums, alongside a collection of previously unheard tracks and demos called Offerings: Lost Songs 2000-2004.
Offerings is the result of an archival search for extra material to accompany the Flashlight Seasons and Black Holes in the Sand reissues as digital downloads. The unexpected discoveries were, however, quickly deemed worthy of an exclusive release.
Comprised of two early demos that differ from album versions in intriguing ways and eight previously unheard songs, the result is a carefully selected and coherent collection. "The Citizen" contrasts a lyric of urban alienation with an early demonstration of Talbot's mastery of acoustic minimalism, while the strong narrative arc of the title track "Offerings" contains the earliest incarnation of a recurring Gravenhurst theme: the indifference of nature and the folly of the human urge to seek spiritual communion with its destructive power.
One of four diverse instrumental tracks, "Who Put Bella In The Wych Elm?" provides a hypnotic soundtrack to one of England's most unnerving unsolved crimes. Unable to recall recording some of these tracks, Talbot describes the collection as a musical Mary Celeste; a vessel found captain-less and crew-less, with its cargo fully preserved after many years adrift.
Check out a video retrospective here:
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Flashlight Seasons (reissue), Black Holes in the Sand (reissue), and Offerings: Lost Songs 2000 - 2004 are out 12/2/14 in the U.S. via Warp Records.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
