Hayden Desser - In Field And Town Album Review

Review of Hayden's album 'In Field And Town' released through Hardwood Records.

Since the X Factor finals and Alexandra Burke's version of 'Hallelujah', Leonard Cohen has (rightly) had a resurgence in popularity. Leonard singing the classics is all well and good but if you're looking for something by a new artist, Hayden might well be the person to look towards.

Hayden's actually been releasing music for over 10 years but he's never really broken through in the way he deserves. About 5 years ago he released an album called 'Elk-Lake Serenade', it was home to 50 minutes of gentle and beautiful songs that gave the listener enormous amounts of pleasure.

In Field And Town is very similar to its predecessor but perhaps a little more subtle on first and second listen but by the third turn, it's fully worn in. Hayden's voice is that of a modest Canadian, it's deep with a flat tone delivered on folk songs rock fans want to listen to. The overtone of the album is a bit more optimistic than the last. Hayden could quite easily be compared to a Canadian Stephen Fretwell mixed with Neil Young and Sufjan Stevens inventiveness. Each song is of great quality and formed fantastically. This might not be one of the easiest albums to purchase in the UK but it's well worth looking for!

Rating 8/10

Mike Rea