Half Deaf Clatch - An Unquiet Mind (2024)

After two thematic EPs this summer, a tribute to Skip James and the H​ä​Xan soundtrack, prolific British singer-songwriter Andrew McLatchie is back with yet another full-length album under his Half Deaf Clatch moniker. On An Unquiet Mind, his trademark sandpaper vocals and profound guitar strumming span eight understated blues songs. The poetic lyrics seem to say a lot about their genesis: “Such a simple scene, really quite mundane // Finding poetry in nothing, nothing but the rain” (from opener Nothing But The Rain), “Pick it up, play // Feel anxiety slowly drain away // Unwind, rewind, I say // These vibrations are a balm for the soul” (Of Wood And Wire), “Words crash down like waves on the shore // In a swell of mixed-up metaphor” (the title track), “Every song begins as an echo in silent space // An idea on a canvas made of air // Painting sound every colour is a frequency // The lows the highs, emotions flow right outta me” (A Blank Canvas), and so on—too many beautiful lines to quote. The coherence of music, voice and text is masterful here.