Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head (studio album) by Jordaan Mason And The Horse Museum

This album really takes you on a ride right from the start and really shocked me when I first heard it. The sound is unconventional and quite unique which is mainly down to the vocal by Jordaan Mason. His harsh and raw voice fits the musical styling perfectly and when you combine that with the unrefined nature of the recording you get an extremely consistent sound. We can easily get wrapped up in this complex atmosphere as its dark and melancholic tone can weigh down on any listener who gives it the opportunity to do so. Lyrically, it is a crazy experience with this story of a married couple and their vast troubles that put a strain on their relationship. They go over some really out there topics but they keep the meanings and emotions grounded making it easy to relate to the issues we are being described. Furthermore, it is a lot of fun to explore the lyrics on every song on this album and is well worth your time even if this type of music isn't for you. Finally, there is a phenomenal ensemble of performers in the group The Horse Museum who back up Jordaan Mason and his voice brilliantly. The list of instruments we are treated to feels like its endless and all of them are used very effectively. The flute, banjo and trombone are some of my personal favourites but you could pick out a lot more as they all excel. The Horse Museum just add an extra dimension to the soundscape and makes the record feel grand and complex whilst maintaining that gritty, raw tone. Overall, this record grew on me over time and deserves to be spoken about a lot more as it is extremely intelligent and is musically fantastic.