Electronic artist and producer Henry Green returns with his second album, Half Light, building on the emphatic success of 2018’s debut Shift with a record that is mature, confident and unapologetically creative.
The 24 year old recorded the album in his attic studio in six months, which is even more impressive considering the extraordinarily nuanced levels of production lurking on the album.
His gentle paced audio exploration is a calming embrace for these difficult times.
Early EPs Slow and Real hinted at Green’s talent – if you have yet to do so, seek out his remix of ‘Strobe Lights’, it’s stunning – and the anticipation surrounding this latest release is well placed.
Recent single ’Tide’ appears early in the running order, and features London-based vocalist Andreya Triana. She’s previously worked alongside with the likes of Flying Lotus, Bonobo and Mr. Scruff and adds a layer of warmth and dynamism to one of the album’s stand out tracks.
A vulnerability threads throughout the album; part of Green’s charm is the quiet delivery of his vocals over soft, slow and warmly curated instrumentation. He is more confident on this record but he manages to keep a resilient vocal neatly controlled throughout.
Exquisitely crafted, ’Sunlight’ is a graceful track, with subtle melodic string lines that roll into the instrumental’Yoyuu’
Use of hushed vocals to add depth to a track is one of Green’s signature moves, and he plays it to perfection on ’Realign’. This is an optimistic moment that lifts the record to new heights and again makes beautiful use of a high searching string line.
The emotionally honest’Idle’ features Canadian artist and label mate Ghostly Kisses and is backed by lusciously laid on sax to produce a dream-like state.
’More’ rounds off the album, relying on multi-layered vocals, light reverb and simply strummed guitars to carry the song. The absence of percussion makes it a compelling track to finish with. The expectation of a simple bass drum that never arrives is unnerving at first, but on second and third listens makes for a reassuringly lo-fi finale.
While Half Light is an expansive record, building on his thrilling debut album Shift, it remains intimate. It’s a composed, thoughtful and patient album that works hard to absorb you. Once you are ensconced, it’s difficult to let go.
Half Light is available on Friday 3rd July on Akira Records.
