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Beth
Gibbons & Rustin Man: Out of Season
Go! Beat, 2003
Rating: 4.7
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Posted: January 20,
2003
By
Laurence Station
Beth Gibbons' voice is a beautifully sad instrument that can convey
heartbreak on par with Billie Holiday or impart sophisticated yearning à
la Nina Simone. With all due respect to programmer/multi-instrumentalist
Geoff Barrow, when one thinks of influential trip-hop outfit Portishead,
it's Gibbons' voice that usually comes to mind. On Out of Season,
she teams up with former Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb (using the alias
Rustin Man here) to craft a delicately understated, romantically
melancholic collection of songs that tap into universal themes of
isolation and loneliness, the catch being that Gibbons and Webb choose to
celebrate those moments in life when one feels cut off, be it emotionally
or physically, from the rest of the world -- out of step with both time
and place.
The opening "Mysteries," with its peaceful, lullaby-strumming guitar
work, and "Show," where Gibbons admits to "Pains in me that I've never
found," typify the album's somber (yet never dour) mood. Here we find a
sanctuary of sadness, a private place in which to take refuge from the
initial sting of rejection (romantic or otherwise). Gibbons willfully
cloaks herself in exile's robes, standing outside the comings and goings
of everyday life, passively studying the intricate patterns of nature and
changing of seasons. The hustle and bustle of the city has faded, the
demands of others cast aside, in favor of outdoor reflection coupled with
studied introspection.
That ethereal, out-of-phase atmosphere pervades Out of Season.
There’s a non-specific aspect to the tracks that gives them a classical,
timeless quality reminiscent of Nick Drake. (Indeed, one of the songs is
called "Drake," but true to the non-personalized nature of the lyrics it
could be about a forklift driver named Bill from Manchester just as much
as the doomed English folk singer.) Time and distance -- in "Spider
Monkey," which laments that "Our future won't let go," and "Resolve,"
where "Summer skies / Are leaving me behind" -- add spatial depth to what
might otherwise slip into too generic a muddle without leaving a
noticeable impression.
That Out of Season leaves an imprint, and a powerfully lasting
one at that, is a testament to Gibbons’ carefully sculpted lyrics and her
vocal interpretation of same, combined with Webb’s unobtrusive but no less
vital studio work. Bluesy numbers like "Tom the Model" and the lone
electronic track, "Rustin Man," certainly add welcome variety to the mix.
Special mention must also go to Portishead guitarist Adrian Uttley, who
distinguishes himself throughout.
On "Funny Time of Year," the best cut here, Gibbons perfectly sums up
her feelings regarding isolation, hope, love and heartbreak: "Turning now
I see no reason / The voice of love so out of season / I need you now / But you
can't see me now / I'm travelling with no destination / Still hanging on to
what may be." It’s that hope of love, of finding something meaningful to
care about in this world, that gives Out of Season uncommon weight
and a quiet dignity rare in today’s musical marketplace, where shouting
one’s intentions have become the norm rather than the exception. If
nothing else, Out of Season proves that a whisper can carry more
power and meaning than a thousand attention-seeking screams. This is one
affectionate ode to sorrow that gets its message across loud and clear.
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