Artist: Nathaniel Talbot
At the ripened age of 27, this Oregon-grown tunesmith is newly celebrating his 15-year anniversary of song-writing. Alongside his work with Portland’s “The Physical Hearts” and “Sleepy Bell” exists a wealth of stripped-down solo material. With influences ranging from the traditional sounds of Kelly Joe Phelps, Doc Watson, and Gillian Welch to the more contemporary Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens and Elliott Smith, the music represent a unique synthesis of old-time picking and the indie here-and-now. Nathaniel combines furious, finger-style guitar work with thoughtful, melodic vocal lines to create a sonic experience that is truly fresh and memorable.
His freshman album, “Music Box,” was written and recorded in 2007 while living in a tiny cabin located in the heart of Oregon’s Opal Creek Wilderness. Featuring little more than a voice and guitar, the album highlights Nathaniel’s work in it’s most distilled form. Live sounds of creaking old-growth trees and leaky cabin faucets are sampled throughout these eight tracks, steeping the listener deep in the environs from which the songs were inspired.
Now, plugging back into Portland’s grid, Talbot has joined forces with a rotating coalition of musicians to help him deliver a more dynamic, experimental sound. His upcoming 2011 release, entitled “Less Wild”, features Sam Howard (Blue Cranes) on upright bass, Russ Kleiner (Curtis Salgato) on percussion, Ben Blechman (Taarka) and Kate Saylor on violin, Tucker Jackson (Celilo) on pedal steel and Dave Hill (Sleepy Bell) on piano.