2003 saw the release of ‘Flashlight Seasons’ by Gravenhurst. The band had already gathered a small cult following in Bristol, but this album put them firmly on a larger map. It is an absolute masterpiece which really shows off the song writing skills of Nick Talbot.

As soon as the first track opens, we are whisked away on a forty-three minute journey. It will take us through dark and shadowy places in the human heart and will drop us off at the end feeling mesmerised. ‘Flashlight Seasons’ is magical, melodic and mystical; it is beautiful and frightening, gentle and insistent, haunting and mysterious.

If you wanted to place ‘Flashlight Seasons’ in one particular genre then you could not. It is made up from a number of different styles including; Folk, Shoegazing and Ambient. And if you wanted to describe its sound then you would have to mention; Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Husker Du and Leonard Cohen. And that is simplifying things a great deal…

Nick Talbot’s voice ranges from being utterly beautiful to downright chilling, and his words are pretty much the same. He can paint a pretty picture and change it to something scary in an instant; his lyrics are deeply enigmatic and infinitely clever. In ‘The Diver’ he uses countless references to swimming without ever deviating from his story. ‘The Ice Tree’ is a beautiful poem full of yearning, whilst ‘I Turn My Face to The Forest Floor’ leaves you amazed that no-one has ever managed to write songs like this before.

‘Flashlight Seasons’ is one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard. If I could only have one album in my collection then it would probably be this one.

‘I have the ghosts of autumn murders walk me home.’

No other song writer weaves words quite like that.

I just got off the phone with this great business who agreed to give us a good discount on the Bespoke Packaging Boxes for the band. Whats the general opinion?