| A new sound has taken hold of the music industry. Not the deadly hush of record sale slumps, but instead the gentle, lilting sound of a harmonized vocals and buzzing strings. Prepare to arm yourself with a six-string and a harmonica and abandon Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach. With the likes of Badly Drawn Boy winning the Mercury Music Prize and David Gray's "White Ladder" album going multi-platinum, it seems the return of the acoustic singer/songwriter is upon us.
The trend was kick-started in 1999 with the release of Travis' second album, "The Man Who". Though not strictly acoustic, there was a melodic, stripped down sound to the record which set new musical standards in a pop world so saturated with Brittany Spears-alikes. With this new market opened by Travis, a whole host of musicians who had been struggling were able to break into public view.
Thus appeared singer/songwriters Damon Gough (known as Badly Drawn Boy) and David Gray. Gray released his "White Ladder" album following several previously unsuccessful releases on various labels. This time, people noticed. The record was highly acclaimed by both critics and the public, going on to win several Brit Awards in 2000.
Later that year, Badly Drawn Boy released "The Hour of Bewilderbeast". The woolly-hat clad Gough combined his acoustic strumming and harmonicas with upbeat, optimistic melodies and refreshing harmonies, complete with hypnotic, sing-a-long "ba da ba, ba baaaaaa"'s. Nominated for and eventually winning a Mercury Music Prize, he appeared onstage looking somewhat bewildered at his victory. He was a humble folk musician catapulted to unexpected fame.
This year, a Norwegian duo really went the whole hog. Hailed as the new Simon and Garfunkel, The King's of Convenience have their amps strictly turned down. The title of their album, "Quiet is the New Loud", summing things up nicely. The music interweaves acoustic bliss with carefully assembled two-part vocal harmonies. This acoustic form, with few instruments other than acoustic guitars, has given the Manchester based duo a leading role in this new movement. Along with Turin Brake's "Optimist" and Elbow's "Asleep in the Back" (both worth investigating), "Quiet is the New Loud" is one of the finest releases of the year.
Anoher one of the biggest recent success stories is Coldplay. Riding on the wave of Travis' electric/acoustic mix, the London group broke through late last year with their debut "Parachutes". Propelled by a hit single, "Yellow", the album "Parachutes" has already gone platinum several times over.
This new movement is certainly a breath of fresh air, both from the rise of bubble-gum pop in recent years and the Nu-Metal craze that is so prominent. Quiet is definitely a welcome change to the new loud!
|
