Chris Cleverley
Album: Apparitions
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.chriscleverley.com

Midlands based Chris Cleverley is clearly a gifted guitarist and it's easy to hear the influence of great musicians such as John Smith and Martha Tilston, two artists he was introduced to during his time at university. Since then he has gone on to open for Tilston as well as Spiers and Boden, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, and even The Wailin' Jennys'. Cleverley also won the Isambard Folk Award in 2014 at the Bristol Folk Festival putting him in the fine company of both Josienne Clark and Ben Walker.

The opening instrumental is a lush introduction to this project, highlighting the dexterity of the guitar playing with the support of warm shimmering string writing. This bright opening feels miles away from the reputedly haunted surroundings in which the album was conceived but hints of the ghosts and apparitions of the title track certainly creep in as the record progresses.

Early on it becomes clear that Cleverley is comfortable and at home in the sound-world of Americana. The second song on the album gently evolves towards this, layering picked guitar and soft vocals which are then joined by double bass and percussion. A familiar walking bass line falls into place before a pleasantly twangy guitar breaks into a solo closely followed by chords and subtle slides on the fiddle. The slide guitar that is so prevalent on the following track is a further nod to folk with a distinctly American flavour. Textures that wouldn't be out of place in a bluegrass or old-time fiddle tune are handled delicately and sensitively, adding an interesting dynamic to the album.

The production is polished but in some places I wonder if there might have been space for a more immediate and gritty quality to the sound. The violin is sweet throughout but it would be great to hear the rich tones of the raw performance. Similarly the banjo that opens 'I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground' feels like it could have been more aggressive and the growl of the bass just a little more prominent. In this case the mix is perfectly suited to Cleverley's voice. His vocals are often soft and light with a crisp enunciation and this all contributes to the reflective feeling that runs through the album.

I am a massive fan of storytelling in its many forms and on my first listen to the album the track 'The Rafters' really stood out. The song seems to tell the sad tale of the Hunchback of Notre Dame from the perspective of the lonely man who lived through his carefully carved puppets, mimicking the lives of the people he watched daily from the heights of the cathedral. Despite the tragic nature of its subject the song is infused with energy and a positive, hopeful sentiment as it revels in the hunchback's escapism.

Perhaps one of the strongest arrangements is on 'Life is Elsewhere' which is decorated perfectly with sweeping strings. The vocals capture the singer's personality and the melody manages to stay with you after the hauntingly discordant guitar fades away. It is the balance between nostalgic tracks like this and uplifting arrangements like 'The Rafters' that helps make the album such a compelling listen.

Lee Cuff