To the pine roots

Ex-Snow Patrol member and ‘Run’ co-writer Iain Archer recorded his latest solo album in a cottage on the edge of the Black Forest, and it shows. To The Pine Roots is a collection of rustic folk tunes that feel insulated from modernity. Parts of the album reflect on childhood experiences in a very atmospheric and impressionistic way, putting one in mind of an acoustic Boards Of Canada (which, of course, we actually got to experience to some extent on BOC’s last album, The Campfire Headphase).
If this all sounds your usual humdrum singer-songwriter fare, then fear not. Archer is prevented from lapsing into cliché by two very simple factors: he takes inspiration from seminal folk acts – Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention – rather than the legion of dullards who followed in their wake; and he has a knack for coming up with beguiling melodies.
The likes of ‘Songbird’ and ‘Streamer On A Kite’ are delightfully hazy, summery tunes, built around hypnotic rhythms and Archer’s hushed vocals. The centrepiece of the album is the eight-minute ‘Everest’, which features discreet ambient sounds orbiting acoustic guitar and Archer’s falsetto. Elsewhere, To The Pine Roots is book-ended by ‘The Acrobat’ and ‘The Nightwatchman’, two character songs that demonstrate that Archer is as adept lyrically as musically.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this album, even if – to quote Neil Tennant – I wouldn’t normally do this kind of thing.

Key track: 'Everest'