An authentically recorded concept album drenched in Americana and described by Hinson as a “modern folk opera”, Presents The Holy Strangers may not initially strike you as the ideal late summer album. However in this tale of a war-time family and their travails over an entire lifetime, there is a seam of richly textured songwriting of the highest level running throughout. Recorded in a fully analogue style (with the pre-mastering being the only concession to the modern, digital world), it has the feel of a long-lost relic being unearthed from a Texan time capsule.

Beginning with an orchestral hum of instruments underneath a slow-building guitar solo, with reverb adding a wonderfully fuzzy warmth, the album begins with an instrumental that summons up images of waking from a dream or perhaps even life in the womb. The structure of the album moves in a linear fashion from the beginning of life to its bitter end and, as such, portrays a real warmth and beauty in the first half that slowly turns to bitterness and betrayal. ‘The Great Void’ kickstarts this by introducing characters, and Hinson’s freestyle approach to traditional songwriting structure finds a perfect fit with the mournful slide guitar and warm strings. Following that with the simple melody of ‘Lover’s Lane’, a track so inspired by and indebted to Johnny Cash that it feels as if it was taken straight from his American Recordings. The analogue style of the recording adds exponentially to the listeners’ experience, with every creak and movement captured. Some tracks still contain the recording hiss, and it all adds to the feeling of an ancient masterpiece being restored.

The album is interspersed with atmospheric instrumental pieces, many of which seem to portray the passage of time or dramatic events. While lengthening the album, they never feel superfluous and indeed give a little breathing space when the mood darkens. Before that, however, the mood remains light and the beautiful, ‘Oh, Spaceman’ is a real highlight. The baby crying in the background throws light on who the titular long-awaited visitor is, and the combination of the lullaby melody alongside its lyrics of: “Oh spaceman, so glad to meet you/been waiting here so long just to greet you” make it an emotional moment. With Hinson’s voice carrying a moving fragility, it captures the power and emotion of a new birth and tugs at the heartstrings on each and every listen. The centrepiece of the album is ‘Micah Book One’ – a seven-and-a-half minute spoken word piece based largely on the biblical Book of Micah. As he asks: “Listen rulers of the house, should you not know justice?”, it seems to jar with what has come before. The relevance only comes to light as the story unfolds and the repercussions from decisions of those rulers come to pass. It marks the point where this war-time tale turns from one of love and warmth into darkness and despair.

The production style, and even Hinson’s delivery, shifts subtly but noticeably in the second half. Everything feels more fractured, discordant sounds creep in and, on ‘The Awakening’, his vocals are close to being incoherent and are almost totally lost in the mix. On ‘The Darling’, he sings: “the arms that once held you are the things that will kill you” while on ‘The Last Song’ “these are the last words I’ll sing to you, and these are the final songs I’ll sing for you” bring images of heartbreak and loss achingly to bear before the tragedy of the final two songs. Listeners should be warned that once the lyrics creep under your skin, the second half of Presents The Holy Strangers is not an easy listen, though always remains fascinating. This isn’t an album to pop on as background music, but more something to immerse yourself in. Meanings and allegories are hidden, ready to be found and explored. This is an engrossing study of human life, covering every emotional base but always leaving enough gaps for imagination and personal perspectives to be added.

Jamie MacMillan

Website – micahphinson.com
Facebook – facebook.com/micahphinson