Josh Record – Pillars

Pillars is the debut album from Josh Record, an alternative/indie musician who already has an impressive list of fans. He has supported artists such as Bastille, London Grammar, Lorde and most recently Sam Smith, and Zane Lowe has named his collection as the “Hottest Record in the World” several times on his Radio 1 show. After a few years of supporting others and releasing EPs, his full-length album is finally here to enjoy.

This mid-summer release fits perfectly into the current seasonal relaxed days and nights, but would sound equally as good in the depths of winter. Recent single Wide Awake is enticingly bittersweet, a quality that is present throughout the album; in a manner similar to Bon Iver and Alt-J, the sound of Record’s music is simultaneously melancholic and soaringly optimistic. Pillars is the type of album you will find yourself enjoying almost unconsciously as it creeps under your skin and encourages you to play it on repeat.

Record has an exquisite tone to his voice, hitting the higher notes effortlessly with the subtle use of both deep bass and higher soprano voices as backing to his vocals – altogether, they make for an enchanting texture to the music, especially on tracks such as Bones. The lyrics themselves are almost poetry, but never seem cheesy or overdone, and always work perfectly with the music behind them. The sound varies from heartfelt vocals layered over quieter instruments to songs where the voice and the music work together to make for a more dramatic effect. Every track on Pillars works beautifully both standing alone and as part of the collection – an admirable feat for a debut album.

If you’re looking for a more rhythmic, poppy sound, Pillars isn’t for you, but it’s an album that will worm its way into your favourites before you even realise what has happened. Relaxed but engaging, Josh Record’s debut is surely a sign of great things to come.

Amy McLelland

Pillars was released on 14^th July 2014. For further information or to order the album visit Josh Record’s website here.

Watch the video for Wide Awake here: