Young Amelia

With Young Amelia, Hans York enters fresh musical pastures, ones painted in soft pastels, for a gentle set shimmering in love's bloom. The entire album is themed around matters of the heart, and its introspective nature will resonate with anyone who's been touched by love's waves. Relationships are built and crumble within, for even when York is in the grip of amour he finds it difficult to let go of the dark shadows that lurk round the corner. Is he emotionally distant, as one lover claims within? The lyrics here certainly suggest otherwise, but, and there often seems to be a but impeding his relationships, a certain cool detachment occasionally clouds the sunny skies. Perhaps York is just overthinking his relationships, refusing to unleash his feelings so they can reach their true depths. Which isn't to suggest that Young Amelia is a bloodless affair, in fact, the set is infused with warmth, found not only in the singer/songwriter's sweet tenor, but also in the album's music, atmospheres, and production. The music itself is sublime, as gentle as a summer's breeze, one can easily lose oneself in its serene beauty, but listen closer and one discovers a complex world of sound. On the upbeat, Latin lashed "Tell Me Why" and Americana-meets-classical "Lifeline" it's easy, for York's amazing fingerpicking is showcased. But check out his exquisitely delicate work on "The Garden" and "Snow," his subtle bluesy licks on "Invocation," or laid-back playing on the jazzy "Been in Love" to glimpse the breadth of his style. On "Love Is Here" York even pushes into pop. Supported by a cast of excellent musicians Young Amelia is a luminescent jewel of a set, its milky atmospheres as lovely as an opal.