Review: History Of Painters

History Of Painters - The World Is Greener… (Independent)
History Of Painters comprise of Justin Hooper on piano, guitar and vocals, and Joshua Cody on guitar, mandolin and vocals. The Californian duo’s style is very much contemporary folk-Americana; the sort of thing Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes do and sell millions. Hooper and Cody have yet to sell their first million, but who needs fame, wealth and acclaim, and all the troublesome paraphernalia that goes with each, when you’re capable of making records like this one. Perhaps their recordings aren’t quite as arena-friendly as some of their contemporary’s, they’re gentler and more softly spoken, and seem more attuned to afterhours listening. There’s something about them that evokes twilight, but not in a way that Stephenie Meyer would recognise.

There are moments on “The World Is Greener” that are painfully beautiful; the harmonies are spellbinding and the melodies entwine and may possibly enslave. The first indication of bewitchment arrives on second track “With Warmth's Ease”, where voices overlap and the song builds and then fades to something almost spectral. Just wonderful. “95 Theses” is altogether easier to hold onto but it still ebbs and flows in a most satisfactory way. The album ends with the quietly persistent “Cathedrals”, which peaks with a folk-gospel crescendo and ends with strident aplomb.
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Rob F.