José González’s first release in seven years, Vestiges and Claws, shows that while he may not have been in the studio since the release of the first iPhone, he has not lost his touch. This album isn’t a departure from González’s particular beaten path, yet it proves that the Swedish-born singer-songwriter didn’t need to change his sound to make a record worthy of merit.
Vestiges and Claws is a consistently great production. The album is driven by González’s unique, slightly nasal voice that swings somewhere between Art Garfunkel and a post-Beatles John Lennon. Musically, the sparse melodies incorporate beautifully-delivered fingerpicking and subtle percussion that take a back seat to González’s guitar and vocals. He also spruces up his songs with a surprising use of instruments like flutes and bongos.
This album’s excellence is exemplified in “The Forest”, a quiet, relaxing track tucked in the middle of the album. González’s poetry comes to the forefront in lyrics such as “Landscapes blurred by rain / Mountains covered in snow / Why didn’t I see / The forest on fire behind the trees?” The simple wilderness images conjured by the song take the listener to a man’s internal conflict, played out in a cold winter morning.
While the majority of the album’s tracks have vocals, González delivers a gorgeously rendered instrumental in “Vissel.” This song serves to highlight González’s unique musicality, as he simultaneously picks a gorgeous guitar line and whistle, and enhance the quality of the album.
Like most albums, Vestiges and Claws has tracks it could have done without—“What Will” among them—but even the record’s low points aren’t that low, managing to provide compelling, if sometimes bland narratives.
Vestiges and Claws is only hampered by the fact that it is José González’s first album in seven years. He benefits, however, from the fact that he continues doing what he already does well: pleasant acoustics, cool rhythms, and a soothing voice. González has clearly come back from his seven-year studio absence with an enthralling passion for his craft.
Voice’s Choices: “The Forest,” “With the Ink of a Ghost”
