Album Review: Jose Gonzalez - Vestiges & Claws

It’s been over seven years since Jose Gonzalez brought out his second solo effort, In Our Nature.

That album was a thoughtful and oft-times dark collection of acoustic recordings, wherein he is troubled by the ugliness of war (How Low) and wary of “the darkness” (Down The Line). On Vestiges & Claws, the airy-sounding Swedish singer sounds more relaxed, more content with the world around him, as though he’s sitting back and simply admiring the view presented in his immediate vicinity.

Gonzalez self-producing the record, you can feel the rawness in each track, making for a wonderfully intimate listen – you can smell nature right from the opening chord in With The Ink Of A Ghost, while you could almost be standing alongside the musician admiring the mountain landscapes and rain on The Forest. A commanding beat makes its way into the mix in Every Age, where Gonzalez preaches that “Every branch of the tree has to learn/learn to grow, find its way,” in a manner that is equal parts strong in message and delicately confident in delivery. Closing track, Open Book could be the album highlight, a light and airy track with a gorgeous little guitar hook, some dainty whistling by Gonzalez and a wholesome expression – “Your love belongs to everyone” – it makes for a perfect summer afternoon track and rounds out another strongly reflective record for the Swedish singer. It's been worth the wait.