José González has shared the lyric video to the title track of his fourth album Local Valley. While his music maintains that quiet assuming feel, its metrical rhythm has a subliminal attraction that has seen his music gain fans across continents, his music faces no borders. This particular track reminds me of the deep, hypnotic Gnawa songs from the likes of Maalem Mahmoud Gania who was one of Morocco’s most famous Gnawa musicians.
In her review of the album, Lila Tristram notes: “Beautifully straddling the line between divinity and the cold, blunt knife of reason, the ideas put forward in this album probe the corners of human consciousness while ultimately being an expression of love, peace and unity.” She later adds: “Local Valley is the first of his albums to utilise all three of the languages he speaks; English, Spanish and Swedish ~ a personal nod towards his life and the cultures he’s been a part of.” Read the full review here.
Of the album Local Valley, González says that it “is similar to my other solo albums in sound and spirit, a natural continuation of the styles I’ve been adding through the years both solo and with Junip. I set out to write songs in the same vein: short, melodic and rhythmical, a mixture of classic folk singer songwriting and songs with influences from Latin America and Africa. It’s more outward looking than my earlier works, but no less personal. On the contrary, I feel more comfortable than ever saying that this album reflects me and my thoughts right now.”
Local Valley is out now: https://josegonzalez.lnk.to/localvalley
José González UK Tour Dates
DECEMBER
1 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Dome
2 – London, UK – Cadogan Hall
3 – Gateshead, UK – Sage Gateshead
4 – Liverpool, UK – Grand Central Hall
5 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
6 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall