Perry Blake - Still Life (1999)

After seeing the film Presque Rien I had no choice but to seek out the songs featured in it. They astounded me. Simple arrangements on top of simple vocals and simple harmonies. The combination of all these simplicities creates something absolutey spectacular. In the two songs featured on his "Still Life" album, the songs are tragic murmurings from the grave of Nick Drake. The songs "Wise Mans Blues" and "This Time It's Goodbye" are miracles alone, each of them. What's more miraculous is they are both on one cd and composed of the same man. Blake is stripped of any kind of armor on this. He allows himself to be totally exposed. His voice is fragile and unaffected. It stirs like a violin. Like a lonely violin in the greatest, most empty hall. He just opens his mouth and I believe him, every word. Listening to his music is like bearing witness to his personal monolouge, uttered just above his breath. If I were going to catagorize him, which I wouldn't, I would categorize him as a male version of Stina Nordenstam. The "electronica" thing attatched to something I read about him scared me off a little, but he's just a musician. I wouldn't really pin him down to any particular genre. He just makes music. And it is beautiful. If you're looking for a honest voice out there... his will rip your heartstrings apart in the most beautiful, beautiful way you never thought possible.