Remove ads, unlock a dark mode theme, and get other perks by upgrading your account. Experience the website the way it's meant to be.

Ken Yates - Quiet Talkers (May 22, 2020) Album

Discussion in 'Music Forum' started by Matt Chylak, May 5, 2020.

  1. Matt Chylak May 5, 2020
    (Last edited: May 5, 2020)
    Matt Chylak

    I can always be better, so I'll always try. Supporter

    Stumbled upon Ontario singer-songwriter Ken Yates today and I think a lot of folks would like his music. Had never heard of him before, but apparently his last album from 2016 won two Canadian Folk Music Awards (Songwriter of the Year and New Artist of the Year).

    His third album Quiet Talkers comes out later this month, and the songs online so far have that combination of dusky sensibility and heartfelt lyrical storytelling that is right down my alley. Reminds me of a more upbeat Ruston Kelly or a folkier version of the Ethan Gruska record from back in January.





    Independent artists need help these days. Pre-order the album or buy merch here.

    [​IMG]
    Tracklist
    1. Grey County Blues
    2. Surviving Is Easy
    3. Two Wrongs
    4. Quiet Talkers
    5. Easy Way Out
    6. When We Came Home
    7. Disillusion Day
    8. Safe From Yourself
    9. Novelty
    10. Evangeline
    11. Anchor And Sail
    12. Pretend We're Alright
     
  2. Matt Chylak

    I can always be better, so I'll always try. Supporter

    Craig Manning likes this.
  3. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Awesome, I’ll check it out!
     
  4. Dave Diddy

    Grief is only love that’s got no place to go Supporter

    Got about halfway through last night before I fell asleep but sounded good.
     
  5. Matt Chylak

    I can always be better, so I'll always try. Supporter

    Yeah, this really clicks into place from a good record to a great one with the last few tracks. "Novelty" and "Pretend We're Alright" are killer.

    Let’s pretend we’re alright. See a show, dance all night.
    Call some friends, play along. Let’s pretend nothing’s wrong
    Let’s pretend we’re alright, if it’s just for one night.
    Call some friends, stay out late. Let’s pretend we’re okay
    .
     
  6. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Need to listen to this!
     
  7. marsupial jones

    make a bagel without the hole

    holy shit, this is so good. was an awesome surprise to find today. hoping that bumping this thread gets people to check this out.
     
  8. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Getting around to this one this evening, and yep, it's an "I'm all-in by the end of the first song" album.

    Reminds me of the vibe of Natalie Hemby's Puxico. Paging @zmtr.
     
    zmtr and marsupial jones like this.
  9. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Yeah, this was fantastic. Between this and Katie Pruitt, @Matt Chylak is winning the recs game for 2020 new releases.
     
    Matt Chylak and marsupial jones like this.
  10. marsupial jones

    make a bagel without the hole

    Hell yeah. Let’s get the word out there.
     
  11. zmtr

    Trusted

    Yep. I loved this. "Novelty" is a hell of a song.
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  12. Matt Chylak

    I can always be better, so I'll always try. Supporter

    Glad you like it! Still waiting for my vinyl in the mail, gonna spin this endlessly when it comes. Need the lyrics too.
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  13. Dave Diddy

    Grief is only love that’s got no place to go Supporter

    I had listened to a couple of the pre-release singles and was pretty hyped for this. Glad it lived up to my expectations.
     
  14. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Yeah, the lyrics are really lovely. Need a focused listen to really take them in.
     
  15. Dave Diddy

    Grief is only love that’s got no place to go Supporter

    My only gripe with the lyrics is how predictable some of his rhymes are sometimes
     
  16. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Matt Chylak likes this.
  17. zmtr

    Trusted

    I liked this a lot when it first came out and then forgot existed until @Matt Chylak mentioned it in a different thread. I've been listening to it constantly since then. Definitely gonna end up in my AOTY list somewhere.
     
    Matt Chylak likes this.
  18. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Listened to this today on a long drive home from saying goodbye to my grandma, who we expect will pass in the next couple of days. Something about it was just intensely comforting for that situation. Definitely just jumped up my end-of-the-year list.
     
  19. Matt Chylak

    I can always be better, so I'll always try. Supporter

    The biggest issue with this album is that it's really hard to describe what's special about it other than "he wrote about 5 perfect songs here and the rest are great too." It's also the best B side of the year for late night vinyl listening.
     
    Craig Manning likes this.
  20. @@ron

    Regular

    Added this vinyl to the Christmas list. I’ve been listening to it the last few days non stop. I think my favorites are Two Wrongs, Quiet Talkers and Safe From Yourself
     
  21. zmtr

    Trusted

    This is somewhere in my top 10 for sure
     
  22. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    I get the feeling from music writer Twitter that a lot of critics don't go for this kind of music for precisely the reason you're naming, which is that there's no real "narrative" for what makes it great, be it something in the artist's background or something about the music that reinvents the wheel. But writing about five perfect songs and putting them all on one album is also more than most artists can say they've done!
     
    Matt Chylak likes this.
  23. @@ron

    Regular

    Is there a vinyl pressing of Huntsville somewhere? I’m now very into that album too
     
  24. Matt Chylak

    I can always be better, so I'll always try. Supporter



    First single from his (hopefully) forthcoming new album, featuring the excellent Kathleen Edwards.
     
    Craig Manning and Dave Diddy like this.
  25. Craig Manning

    @FurtherFromSky Moderator

    Album is out June 3, called Cerulean. Ken Yates - Cerulean — Killbeat Music

    01. The Big One (feat. Kathleen Edwards)
    02. The Future Is Dead
    03. Don’t Mean To Wake You (feat. Stephanie Lambring)
    04. Consolation Prize (feat. Katie Pruitt)
    05. Small Doses
    06. Best Of The Broken Things
    07. Honest Light (feat. Caroline Marie
    Brooks)
    08. Half Clenched Teeth
    09. Good Things (feat. Liz Longley)
    10. Grocery Store
    11. Cerulean

    Here’s the vinyl preorder: Cerulean Vinyl — Ken Yates