Bryter Layter

by

Nick Drake

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The cinematic instrumental, Introduction, opens this treasure trove of an album, and is followed by Hazey Jane II, a lilting dreamy pop number. At The Chime Of A City Clock has its jazzy moments with lovely sax, while One Of These Things First, with its lively piano, is the closest Drake comes to happiness. The wistful and spacious Hazey Jane I is followed by the title track, an elegant breezy instrumental, and the sublime Fly. This version, with its fuller instrumentation, is my top favorite Nick Drake song, displaying the man at his best in its exquisite spirituality. Poor Boy is a jazzy/R&B song with soulful backing vocals, while John Cale's celeste, piano and organ contributions on Northern Sky make this track a classic. Like two of his collaborators, Richard Thompson and Cale, Nick had his own poetic voice from the beginning, and his legacy is being rediscovered by a new generation of musicians. This album is the perfect entry point to investigate Drake's magic. So many styles, but so coherent. Bryter Layter's variety, sympathetic production and breathtakingly beautiful songs make it my favorite by this gifted artist.

This is definitely not Drake's best album. It is, however, a quality

recording. The only real criticism that I can offer is that it is a little

over produced. At times the string and horn arrangements become distracting

and seem out of place. The real beauty of Drake's other recordings are their

simplicity and minimalistic approach. This album, though, departs from that

standard and includes multiple overdubs and, as I said, superfulous

arrangements.

Do not, however, misunderstand me. I am a firm believer in

Drake's genius as a songwriter and musician. Bryter Layter certainly stands

as a testament to this. His vocals, as always, are majestic and

otherworldly. His songs, as always, are so beautiful they make you cry for

mama.

]This is a great album, but not necessarily the album I'd recommend to Nick

Drake newcomers. The tracks that stand out are "Fly" and "Poor Boy." The

later has a very nice loungy feel to it.

If you're expecting a laid back folk album in the vain of

Pink Moon, you will not find it in Bryter Layter. I would describe this

album as something more like Van Morrison's Astral Weeks but suffering from

an uncomfortable case of elevator strings.