- Andy
J Richardson đ«đź - âThe Pine and the Birchâ (Album)

I really am going to try and keep reviews brief, but I know already that by doing so I wonât be doing the artists and their albums quite the credit they deserve. Thatâs especially true of the new album courtesy of J Richardson, a Finnish based songwriter, who was born in the UK but decided that the peaceful woods and valleys outside Helsinki were a far more favourable place to spend his time. I can hardly blame him.
Anyway âThe Pine and the Birchâ is such a stunning album that Iâm left utterly bewildered over where J Richardson has been all this time (aside from hiding in Finnish forests), why he doesnât have far more of a profile either in Finland or in the UK and why he wonât tell us his 1st name. Iâm just going to guess itâs Jethro.
The album opens with âAfter Darkâ, and with no attempt at an intro itâs the soft melody and striking lyrics that immediately hit home: âshe gave me her cup, she said one tablespoon is rarely if ever enoughâ. Throughout the album those words just melt into the instrumentation, as if they were just meant to be together. And if you think from the opening that it might just all be a little too sedate, just wait and listen to how the track builds, with that melodic intensity maintained into âStolen Songâ, 7 minutes of richly textured instrumentation mixed with a gorgeous subtlety in the musical phrasing.
But itâs âOn Visionâ thatâs the stand out track, beguiling minimalist rhythms set the scene, a saxophone offers distant accompaniment and the song grows with intertwined melodies, a developing sense of urgency, quite grand arrangements yet always likeable catchy tunes. Itâs 8 minutes of wonder, a track so darn near perfect that Iâm not sure I can think of anything as good since Major Parkinson released an entire album of perfection with their âBlackboxâ in 2017.
After such a weighty track it probably needs a contrast, and âLook upâ offers that, and at this point itâs possibly the right time to start delving into the âsupporting castâ of musicians singing and playing alongside Mr Richardson, Anna-Elena PÀÀkkölĂ€ offering a lovely contrast in this song with Jaakko Martikainenâs saxophone sounding fabulous across the album. In fact there is not one wasted note from the entire ensemble - take the lovely arrangements in âThe Dry Valleysâ courtesy of Kaapo Huttunen, another 9 minute composition that I really canât do justice to in less than 30 words.
âThe Windâ almost has a simplicity to it, with a gorgeous melody, but the instrumentation and soft vocal duet literally will carry you away in the wind above the forests and lakes, whilst concluding track âMabonâ has a catchy optimism to it - and again, just listen to the lyrics, the background contributions from the ensemble and the quite beautiful musical phrasing.
Normally at this stage I try and point out the downsides of an album, or at least why not everyone might find favour with a release. But there is no reason why you wonât like âThe Pine and the Birchâ. The beauty of this album is in the detail, handcrafted instrumentation, packed full of musical and lyrical ideas, with vast influences which Iâm guessing include folk, rock, progressive, classical, minimalist and possibly even 1970âs Cornish comedians. And what I love in particular is that there is so much within this album that Iâm yet to discover, appreciate and then simply cherish. Itâs utterly marvellous.
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The album was released through Longfield Lane Records, and there was a CD version released with a bonus track on 31st August. I'll await the super deluxe vinyl version.