The acoustic guitar & cello employed on many are tracks are brilliant-a mature sound
THE WARREN
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp27WO22-6U
"not to be ignored" -mojo
TESS was born in 1972. In the following years, there could have not been a better education into music and songcraft! Bowie, The Doors, John Lennon -it all left a calibre of musical structure and melody that strongly imprinted on the mind of a growing child. As each newly released song was recorded to tape on a Sunday "chart show" afternoon, it taught him how to express what he, a quiet child, found hard to do through words alone, yet more importantly it gave him something to aspire to.
For most of his adult life, he didn't fully embrace a music career. To him, his songs were more like intimate diary entries, recording the major passages of his life. But songs eventually lead to performances; and those gigs led to a chance meeting with a cellist in a café, Through her, TESS was introduced to producer and strings arranger Howard Gott. Howard recognized the strength of the vocals, guitar structure and they began work. Howard bought an air of patience to the recording with his string parts offering sensitivity and texture. The album took well over a year to develop, often with long periods of necessary rest in between tracks. Moments of loss of self confidence made him write and rewrite, he was determined to give it "his all". Every song has to be based on the truth of his life; some of the lyrics so intimate that he still finds it hard to directly address their meaning.
And so we have Magpie, 11 songs of darkness and hope in equal measure. At times haunting and deeply personal - yet always unmistakable.
RIVER
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVyP-YEJlac
