DAMIAN WILSON

Thank You COMMUNE

An intimate and reflective EP from the ex-Threshold frontman.

This stripped-back EP is the latest solo release from Headspace/ Thresholder Damian Wilson and it sees him once again working with long-time collaborator Andrew Holdsworth, who helped realise the sparse instrumentation and clicktrack-free organic feel of the record. The opener, title track Thank You exemplifies the sound of the release, with delicate violin and cello juxtaposed against an arpeggiated piano accompaniment as Damian describes the boat he lived on, Mistral. Somewhat dramatically, the boat sank on the way to this year’s Cropredy festival, forcing Damian to dive down into it to retrieve his first guitar, which most of this material was written on. The slow build of ballad Until I’m With You has the melodic sense of R.E.M., while Can You Hear Me?, written by his childhood friend Nick Woodbridge, is an interesting change of pace, with a different, yearning feel and a powerful backstory as Woodbridge disappeared several years ago. As you’d expect, Wilson’s vocals are fantastic throughout, pursuing the mellower direction he’s gone with Adam Wakeman lately rather than full-throttle prog’n’roll.