Post & Beam by Holland Hopson
"Hopson...has no fear of manipulating sound with anything near at hand, be it fingerpicks or a laptop computer.
On "Post & Beam," however, he actually hews closer to Alan Lomax than Kraftwerk, with a haunting, often mesmerizing album of old songs and new sounds.
Throughout, he plays the banjo straight, with a gentle claw hammer behind his fragile-but- captivating voice. There are aspects of Sam Amidon and Chris Whitley at work here (especially in the original tunes), but Hopson's individuality shines.
What pulls "Post & Beam" out of folk festival mode are the murmurings behind the songs. Atmospheric tangents (including the voice of NOAA weather radio) bubble and squeak without ever distracting. Oddly, they put an even tighter focus on Hopson's vocal delivery, especially on appropriated chestnuts like "East Virginia," "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" and "Bowling Green Green."
There's a tendency in freak folk towards atmosphere, a wind-blown, gauzy lope. Hopson certainly has it on "Post & Beam," but his relaxed stride has a purpose, a goal, a destination.
It's a fascinating journey."
--Michael Eck, Albany Times Union
"Holland Hopson’s Post and Beam was released last year, but I stupidly didn’t fall in love with it until recently. I guarantee you’ve never heard anything like it — beautifully performed original and traditional folk songs set against an electronic dreamworld. I can’t think of a recording that provides a more powerful study in contrasts — heartfelt and alienating most of all. Check it out and see if you don’t think the Maxified banjo is not the up-and-coming instrument of the decade!"
--David Zicarelli, Cycling '74
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Tracklist
| 1. | Don't Let Your Deal Go Down | 4:20 |
| 2. | East Virginia | 4:12 |
| 3. | Born in the Desert | 5:06 |
| 4. | Ice Age | 6:40 |
| 5. | My Own True Love | 5:05 |
| 6. | Fencepost | 7:42 |
| 7. | Bowling Green Green | 7:14 |
Credits
Holland Hopson: vocals, banjo, fretless banjo, electronics
Recorded and Mixed by Holland Hopson
Mastered by Troy Pohl for Collar City Sound
Design by Travis Weller
License
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. See the Creative Commons website for details.Tags
Holland Hopson is a sound and media artist, composer and improviser. He usually performs on clawhammer banjo and electronics. Holland often augments his instruments with custom-designed sensor interfaces and performs with his own highly responsive, interactive computer programs. Holland has performed in Australia, Europe and North America with notable experimental and outsider musicians.