Joel Nicholson first gave us a glimpse of his deepest thoughts three years ago with his debut as Butcher The Bar »Sleep At Your Own Speed«, an album that dealt with the fleet-footed uncertainties of growing up - recorded in the intimate light of his bedroom. Since then Joel has moved into a whole house in Manchester, the rooms of which must be sunny and flooded with light, for the latest songs, with all their delicate melodies, conjure up images of sparkling particles of dust dancing in the sunlight. Taken as a whole, the songs on »For Each A Future Tethered« make an album, and its an album with which Joel not only continues telling his own personal story, but which adds a new chapter to the history of great song writing in the tradition of musicians like Nick Drake, Paul Simon and Elliott Smith.
Nicholson has also shown new sides to his creativity in his arrangements. While the songs on the debut album were largely based on the traditional folk instrumentation of guitar, banjo and vocals, on »For Each A Future Tethered« there’s a wider range of musical accompaniment, with the inclusion of trumpets, clarinets, harmoniums and pianos to name a few, resulting in a richer, fuller sound. The music is somewhat reminiscent of label mates Seabear, on »Bobby« for example, but also of indie-pop greats such as The Lucksmiths. Some songs – like the confident lullaby »Cradle Song« and »Blood For The Breeze« – could be folk standards, while others set new standards for folk music. Right from the word go, the opening number »Sign Your Name« shows an astonishing measure of depth and tremendous fluidity, where Joel's voice becomes entwined in the sound of the instruments. Butcher The Bar play folk-pop with a big heart, and anyone who ever wanted to throw their arms around the whole world should feel loved back when listening to this album.
