Reviews

Laurel Canyon is really all you need to know – where you come down on the sounds of that early '70s scene and it's post-‘60s come-down (burn-out?) vibe is going to dictate your attitude to this album. For me, it's a stunner, having mellowed somewhat as I near 40.

Jonathan Wilson seems to effortlessly evoke the golden sun-kissed utopia of that legendary canyon, but Gentle Spirit is never just a straight homage or period aping piece; it's got real sonic bite and touches of electronic weirdness that could see Wilson become the go-to producer for people wanting a more Californian/bong-loaded version of what Jim O'Rourke (Wilco, Smog) serves up.

Having spent years working as a producer and sessionman (Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Will Oldham), Gentle Spirit is Wilson's debut solo release (an earlier album Frankie Ray seems to have never come out), and he doesn't disappoint with a seriously wonderful double-album of Crosby, Stills, Nash & (especially) Young flavoured folk-rock. As I listen to the album I keep thinking of the film The Graduate, the ennui Benjamin Braddock feels, that sense of loss and helplessness as he returns home from college is the sound I hear throughout this album. With winter turning to spring, this will be getting a hammering around here.