When going on a sonic journey into the wild, who better to chaperone than former Wild Beasts frontman , Hayden Thorpe . Six years after the disbandment of the acclaimed art-rock quartet, the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has since firmly established himself as a solo artist, thanks to the stark balladry of ‘Diviner’ and the synth-soaked majesty of ‘Moondust For My Diamond’ . Now back with his third solo album Ness, an adaptation of author Robert Macfarlane’s book of the same name , Hayden has successfully crafted his most magical and ambitious project yet.
At the heart of both Robert’s book and Hayden’s album is Orford Ness, a ten-mile-long beach on the coast of Suffolk. Once you dig into the history of the place, it is easy to see why these artists would’ve been uniquely drawn to such a place. A former Ministry of Defence weapons development site during both World Wars and the Cold War, where the country’s nuclear arsenal was previously built and tested, Orford Ness was bought by the National Trust in 1993 and has since been transformed into a coastal nature reserve.
A place where the dark history of humanity and the resplendence of the natural world collide – under today’s growing threats of increasing political tension and devastating climate change effects no less – Ness feels a powerfully fitting subject matter in 2024. While the album may ultimately reside under Hayden’s name, this project is one of massive collaboration. Using Robert Macfarlane’s words as his lyrics and muse, while also working with Jack McNeill of modern ensemble Propellor on the orchestral arrangements and award-winning composer Kerry Andrew on the choral harmonies, Hayden has poured his blood, sweat and tears into producing a breathtaking work of true magnificence.
With each song bringing to life a chapter of Robert’s book, it’s a record that transports the listener to the mysterious land of Ness, through a mesmerising sea of rich instrumentation, poetic lyrics and sumptuous vocals. Opener ‘Merman’ is an immediate highlight, ominously arriving to the sounds of throbbing heartbeat-like bass and howling clarinet. Soon the familiar tone of Hayden’s ethereal vocals come gliding in over the top of the claustrophobic atmosphere, casting a contrast as wondrously mythical as the song’s protagonist.
The aptly titled ‘WTF is that?’ follows, a menacing and bizarrely fascinating instrumental, laced with barely decipherable, distorted vocals. It’s a captivating opening two-parter that will have you gripped to your headphones. — — The Green Chapel is a recurring setting in Robert’s book, which Hayden effectively translates to composition through the ‘Song of the Bomb’ refrain that appears throughout the record, which begins with ‘In The Green Chapel’.
The track is a gorgeous folky hymnal akin to early Fleet Foxes, filled with gentle acoustics and mantra-like harmonies. Out of nowhere, the sounds of static synths then mark the arrival of ‘It’, the song most reminiscent of Hayden’s Wild Beasts days with its rapid-fire verse skipping along within an instantly catchy groove. After the clarinet-laden, spoken-word interlude ‘Gull’, recent single ‘He’ then concludes Side A, its swaggering melody sung through Hayden’s inimitable falsetto until it reaches a dark, dramatic cackling noise, no doubt representing “the jag and haggle of the gulls”.
It’s the record’s most brilliantly maximalist moment, with the instrumentation fusing electronics with a sackbut (a 15th century early trombone) and a spinet (a small 17th century harpsichord) to create a haunted house of sound. As fantastic as the first half of the record is, Side B is only more enchanting. Another interlude ‘Hagstone’ quickly drops the listener back into the world of ‘Ness’, before ‘She’ takes inspiration from nature’s spores and transmits it through a soothing, sensual waltz.
The ‘Song of the Bomb’ refrain then returns, this time filled with thrilling rock riffs and big brass horns. After the plinky-plonky rhythms of lead single ‘They’ gifts a vision of Ness at summertime, the ‘Song of the Bomb’ narrative then reaches its grand climax in scintillating fashion. ‘V.
’ is the early contender for highlight of the whole record, opening on a siren-like warning and Hayden’s spoken-word verse, before morphing into some pulsating electronica and Kerry Andrew’s spellbinding chorus. Needing a breather after that, ‘As’ then brings the pace back down once more, a spiritual folk song that feels almost medieval. Kerry Andrew’s choral harmonies with Hayden are starkly striking once again as they both sing “As is nothingness.
.. As is forgiveness”, before the track ends with Robert Macfarlane’s reading.
Sadly it’s then time to depart Ness, ‘Closer Away’ a suitably goosebump-inducing finale brimming with gorgeous piano and woodwind, as well as Hayden’s and Kerry Andrew’s hauntingly beautiful vocals. In the end, Hayden Thorpe’s Ness ends up being more than just another album. Where Macfarlane’s book was part-novella, part-prose and part-poem, Hayden too has crafted a piece of art that blurs the lines between music, audiobook, spoken-word and classical composition.
It’s simply a one-of-a-kind auditory experience, one that whisks you away to a place full of historical dread and natural wonder, which feels all too relevant for today’s world. Through Hayden, Ness Speaks – and it’s quite unlike anything else you’ll hear all year. 9/10 Words: Karl Blakesley —.
