Soft-spoken indie folk singer José González returns with rhythmic thumping and strumming on “Vestiges & Claws,” his first solo album in seven years.
González’s hiatus has proved to be transformative, allowing him to develop a more technical, percussive, layered and all around better sound. The content of González’s first three records was not poorly crafted by any means — the Swedish Argentine has simply found his voice with “Vestiges.”
Lyrically, the record speaks strongly of self-realization, evoking a sense of searching for that intangible true meaning of life. While that may sound cliche, González’s search is laid out in such an innocent, genuine way it is difficult not to have faith in his message.
Human nature unambiguously comes into question in the groovy, hymnal-esque “Leaf Off/The Cave,” a cyclical, never tiring track whose opening verse questions blind action (and inaction) against reason and fact.
“What Will,” a song that contains the titular lyrics of the record, questions the potential legacy of our generation and that of humankind at large. Again, the duality of faith and reason comes into question, with the latter presented as the more desirable path. The song breaks down additional dualities of envy and generosity and wishful thinking and reality, giving context and importance to the initial paradox.
As powerful as the message in “Vestiges & Claws” is, a few songs sound too similar to previous tracks, rehashed with different lyrics.
Another downfall is instrumental track, “Vissel,” which is little more than a filler. It would work better as a minute-long transitional piece than as a nearly four-minute strumming exhibition.
These lulls in the album isolate the almost-overlooked closing track “Open Book.” It is certainly no coincidence that the closing lines of this simple folk tune provide some of the most honest and exposing lyrics on the record: “A drifting vessel in the storm / Pushed around, from shore to shore … / Filling pages one by one, in the warmth of other songs.”
The lyrics throughout the record are much more confident and ambitious than those of González’s previous records, asking existential, almost rhetorical questions in the voice of a wise teacher.
As a whole, “Vestiges & Claws” is an instrumentally layered, lyrical success that leaves the listener wanting answers to the questions raised throughout the record. This may have been intentional on González’s part, but this album may also be the first step in his newly founded quest to fulfill and to share his journey of realization with listeners.
Either way, “Vestiges & Claws” is an enlightening collection of mellow folks songs that will never top the charts, but should remain relevant in years to come.
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