BLACKSHAW, JAMES - Summoning Suns

Summoning Suns' is James Blackshaw's tenth studio album and the first recording to feature his voice and lyrics. Drawing inspiration from 60's and 70's singer-songwriters, baroque/orchestral pop and folk music, while still sounding contemporary, 'Summoning Suns' is Blackshaw's foray into more traditional forms of songcraft. Blackshaw sings in a gentle but assured voice, occasionally reminiscent of Harry Nilsson, Jim O'Rourke and Elliott Smith, while his words combine his personal experiences, neuroses and fantasy through many layers of abstraction, poeticism and dark humour.While the deft fingerpicking acoustic guitar style of Blackshaw's previous recordings is still a prominent part of the sound, the songs are lushly and intricately arranged for drums, bass, piano, violin, flute and pedal steel guitar and features contributions from Simon Scott (Slowdive), Annie Nilsson and Japanese musicians Mori Wa Ikiteiru and Kaoru Noda (with whom he duets in Japanese on one song). Record Label: Important Style: Folk