Henri Julien - “St. James Bay”
Canadian artist Henri Julien has just released “St. James Bay,” a delightful addition to the folk genre.
The song starts with some warmly plucked acoustic guitar. Layers are gently added, arpeggiating the melody with the soft notes from a banjo. One of our favorite instruments of all time, the lap steel, as well as some violin provide the production with a sense of melancholy and longing. An unusual pad sound also lends some darker mood to the song. There is a nice sense of reflection to “St. James Bay,” as if the listener is being guided through their own memories.
Later in the track, the addition of percussion wisely brings some energy and texture to the arrangement. The song then leads us back into quieter reflection when the percussion is removed. The end instrumental crescendo is a warm and satisfying conclusion to the song, and the cymbal sounds cause the listener to visualize waves breaking on some distant shore. In the meantime, the vocal gently soars over melodic elements and the warm textures of electric guitar are added.
Henri Julien’s vocal work is gentle and light and there is an intimate nature as he delivers the lyrics. There is a slight Sufjan Stevens/ Elliott Smith way about his voice and it is definitely one of the reasons that “St. James Bay” won us over in the first place. All of this is supported wonderfully by backing vocals that gently hug the main. This song is perfect for those rainy afternoons, so be sure to load it into the appropriate playlist to help you navigate this time of year.