Like Leonard Cohen or Peter Murphy or Nick Cave, Stuart A. Staples has a deep voice that holds onto notes long enough for each to resonate in that dolorous section of the brain. Add a little slow organ underneath, to increase the sadness, and as the story progresses let the songs build. With a pair of headphones turned up loud enough, you’ll lose yourself in the melancholy. Between the organ and the slide guitar, you’ll wonder, though only momentarily, if this is gospel or country music. If you’re a fan of any of the above singers, you’ll understand how something this tonally low and this thematically sad could be this totally beautiful.
- Listen to Old Friends
- Listen to Which Way the Wind
- Listen to One More Time
Buy Leaving Songs from Insound