Annie Rew Shaw with the moniker Austel have been on the British music scene with some important live performances (like Glastonbury) and a prolific studio recording activity. Her influences range extensively from the most intimate and innovative songwriting of the last three decades (from Elliot Smith to Bon Iver) to a more meditative and ambient electronic music.
But Austel’s narrative cornerstone are her songs, all integrated in a sound flux that can be appreciated since the beginning of her adventure in the music business, with that “Crows” that strikes a chord with proud simplicity and an almost unaware pop vibe, melancholic yet irresistible.
In “Feathers” her songs are lightly traced with a minimalist touch, a neoclassic style that redraws the structure, leaving room for listening and interpretation, there are more silences than the previous versions, like an invitation to a deeper listening to fully appreciate the endless shades of a really valuable work.
So, a few notes from a piano delight us, rocking us on soft clouds, far from everyday noises, reverberating guitars like the glow of a beautiful sunrise, velvet synth and lyrical arches that weave a net that has the colours of a white and welcoming winter.
Austel couldn’t find a better way to bring attention to her fine songwriting, with a flawless production that brings out every melody, every single piece of these timeless songs, written with taste, passion and a natural style.
A.D.
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