Vigils

Gentle solo guitar from Ontario. Recorded in one evening by Engel just before the death of their father, these pieces are gentle and warm, mournful but grounding. They evoke the feeling of grief when it gives way to a kind of essential lightness, a self pared down to its most basic desire for solace. Includes a otherworldly interpretation of a Hank Williams song. RIYL Grouper, Loren Connors’ Airs, Tara Jane O’Neil, Talk West. Favorites: 2, 3, 5. No FCCs.

1. (4:45)—Wispy, slow, shimmering fingerpicked flourishes.
2. *(2:49)—Mid-tempo fingerpicking, folk song chord progression, bathed in soft light.
3. *(3:05)—Deep, slow, resonant broken major chords.
4. (1:17)—Partial chords that resonate the way calm water does when stones are dropped into it slowly.
5. *(3:31)—Slow Hank Williams cover. Sounds almost holy. High, clear, restrained singing.
6. (2:48)—High, gleaming raindrop notes. Droning.