A lyrical masterpiece that’s effortless in swaying the listener with the desolate tone of the album, British folk singer Keaton Henson’s Kindly Now examines the anxiety that haunted his past and nearly crippled him, and reflects on the love, lust, and ego that went into his career, all in 12 bittersweet songs. Throughout the album, Henson’s falsetto and trembling voice is the primary focus; it’s what makes his music distinctive. However, his quavering croon is his downfall as at times, it overshadows what he is trying to get across with his songs. The record’s beautifully played piano and violin, in addition to the lyrics, add to a tearful experience; be prepared to let the gates of your body overflow with sorrow.
“March” transports the listener to the beginning of Henson’s journey in his career. The song gives a preview to elements that are ever-present in the album. “NW Overture” is comparable in the sense of its focus on the violin shifting the mood. While the presence of violin in “Holy Lover” is common to the record, its purpose is different as it depicts his struggle to overcome the anxieties that plague him. In “Alright” Henson bids farewell to the child who wrote his previous two albums so he can move on and reach his full potential. Time stands still as the atmosphere is barren, much like Henson himself throughout the album. The somber piano and the tear-jerking lyrics make the song one of the many heartbreakers in the album.
A change in direction, “The Pugilist” depicts a sorrow that has a not-so-hidden tone of anger, which, in comparison to rest of the record, is sorrow in its truest form. Henson’s anger is towards the relationship between the artist and the part of the brain that makes an artist an artist. What makes Henson a compelling artist is that more often than not, he transports the listener into the atmosphere of a song. In addition, his pauses often say more than words; the silence is deafening. In “No Witnesses” sound bounces off floorboards and walls as if they were made of aged oak. Henson himself is maudlin.
With “Good Lust” and “Comfortable Love,” Henson recounts his past loves that did not amount to much more than sorrow due to his apparent restlessness and an inability to trust others. In “Old Lovers in Dressing Rooms” he describes a chance encounter with an ex and the uncertainty that follows, while “Polyhymnia” depicts a violent battle between himself and his muse. What ties these three songs together is how his lyrics emit an aura of emotional grief that embodies the entire album. The instrumentals in each song are excellent in tying lyrics together well. Out of the four instrumental tracks of the album, “Gabe” is easily the simplest as it is a break of synths and bass clarinet for the listener after four consecutive heavy songs that are unrelentingly remorseful.
To complete the album, “How Could I Have Known” is Henson’s pining for his love, which encompasses the purpose of the entire album. In his career, one of the largest factors has been his history in love and its failures. Kindly Now is an album for a heartbroken soul, but if you are one without heartbreak, I guarantee you will feel Henson’s heartbreak as he gives us a look into his wounded soul.
