Product Description

Swiftly following on from the widely-acclaimed Julius Work Calendar comes this stunning collection of twisted folk gems from the prolific Richard Haswell (aka Rhubarb). Stripped-down, haunting, raw and bleak yet comforting, this record boasts perhaps his strongest set of songs to date.

Track Listing

1. Fade out / Fade In
2. 3 Seconds
3. Vent
4. Wanderlust
5. Third Lanark
6. Painlessly
7. September Wasps
8. Alyth North

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #204119 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-01
• Number of discs: 1

Review
How can he have passed us all by for so many years? We say it again spread the word about this singular artist! --Woven Wheat Whispers

Review
..a cut above many self-made rock stars moments of moving lyrical poetry a surprising strength of vision. --Is This Music

Review
..a wonderful, eccentric and heavenly melody maker ...a breath of fresh air with a twist of leftfield beauty. --Matchbox Records

Customer Reviews

Majestic
I'm fairly new to the works of Mr Haswell, however in my limited knowledge this already represents something of a yardstick against which all of his future works may be measured.

This is a wonderful and moving record, made even more so by the sparse instrumentation and simplicity of the lyrics which give the whole album a spectral beauty without ever becoming verbose or overwrought. This is especially evident on tracks such as 3 Seconds, where a solitary violin transforms the track into a work of melancholic beauty, or the gorgeous Third Lanark.

Artists such as Rhubarb, who shun the trappings of a music industry obsessed with the ephemeral to create music simply for the joy of doing so, should be cherished.

Rhubarb Rules
The first thing to confess is this is my first ever review, but being so incensed by the negative review of this album I thought that I had to say something. This record is simply beautiful, it is how music should sound. Stripped down to one man and his guitar, often sounding "fragile" but with the ability to arouse ones emotions. OK I will agree that sometimes the lyrics can appear simplistic but I feel this adds to the whole feel of the record.If you want a comparison then in my oppinion this is like a British "The Mountain Goats" but a little mellower. Buy this record, you will not be dissapointed and you will find yourself investing in his back catalogue

you need to understand rhubarbs approach
As a counter to the review above I thought this was a great album and a natural development from the last few. You need to understand Rhubarbs approach. Yes the playing and singing are on the edge and sound like they could imminently break down - but thats the point! Would you rather have some slick deliver that sounds like corporate america. I would say that Richard is paying homage to, and occasionally inverts the folk conventions, not playing up to them. His lyrics do have a nievity to them, but also depth. If something is leasy to say then it probably does not mean that mutch. Rhubarbs work does take listening to and the depth comes with repeated listening. Again I think anything instantly understood demonstrates how shallow it is.

Give it another try!