The seductive musical qualities of Victoria artist Aidan Knight may not be readily apparent on the first couple of spins of Each Other, his third record and first since 2012. But spend a little time with the Canadian and his large but singularly coherent coterie of contributing artists and you’ll soon be ensconsed in Knight’s subtle vision – and that is to carefully arrange delicate and salient vignettes of personal observation. Space abounds on Each Other, room for introspection and contemplative identification with universal themes as evidenced on the excellent first single, ‘All Clear’ and the poignant, ‘St. Christina’.
While Knight and co. clearly sweat the small details, he never allows them to clog up his arrangements, cleverly straddling the line so many artists cross between virtuosity and songwriting. And Knight is clearly a songwriter first and good songwriters don’t go chasing their audience. Rather, they like Knight deftly let whoever is intrigued enough by the subtle elements of music constructions come to them on their own terms. This is no small feat and not only indicates musical intelligence of the highest order, but a clear confidence in what they are seeking to do.
Witness the title track and album opener with its quiet pastoral textures that effortlessly stream by guided by Knight’s gorgeously deep and understated vocals only to be interrupted by appropriate percussive flourishes that aren’t there to necessarily command attention, but rather serve a cohesion directly related to purpose. And the straight ahead yet poignant ‘Funeral Singers’ is akin to a pop wonderland as it completes its ride with perfectly placed atmospheric doses of horns and synth sounding strings. Every thing in its place and the production of Marcus Paquin (The National) plays a clear role here.
Each Other marks a welcome return for Knight and a further indication of songwriting growth from a vital independent artist. It requires just long of a half an hour of your time and while you may have to go to him, you may find yourself overstaying without realising and subsequently returning again and again.
James Stocker – February 4, 2016.
Funeral Singers
Aidan Knight (CAN)
From the album, ‘Each Other’, Full Time Hobby.
Aidan Knight Bandcamp (Buy here)
Audio Stream
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