I'm looking for the sound, the feel, of Drake's Pink Moon album - stark, spare, subdued, brooding yet beautiful. Are there any other artistes who have albums like that, with the bare minimum (and preferably just an acoustic guitar) of instrumentation. I know it's difficult to find a voice like his, which is almost never raised in pitch, but maybe there are some more out there. Appreciate your recommendations.
K, Love the Drake. Best comparo I can think of might be Iron & Wine, "The Creek Drank the Cradle" and "Our Endless Numbered Days". And maybe Bonnie "Prince" Billy, "Master and Everyone". All great stuff.
I'm a huge Nick Drake fan, but I've never heard anyone who's really similar, but I'd consider Suzanne Vega, especially her 1st album and 'Days of Open Hand'. you also might check out Will Oldham's 'Master and Everyone'. Also, Elliott Smith; my favorite is XO, but his first two, S/T and 'Either/Or' are more stripped down.
David Sylvian. Blemish fits what you're describing, and is both bleak and beautiful. Not for beginners, but if you're already there, a great album.
Otherwise, I'd start with Dead Bees on a Cake, or Brilliant Trees.
I'll second Iron and Wine.
If you're in a happy mood, Jack Johnson has put out several great albums. Brushfire Fairytales is a little more pensive, and later albums have a great laid back mood. All well recorded, without drawing attention to it.
Drake is awesome. Check out Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out. Also early Cure and Depeche Mode. For a female variation that is a bit more operatic, there is Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun, and, Into the Labyrinth (you will love track 3).
The good part is that I haven't listened to most of the above recommendations, save Joni Mitchell,Jeff Buckley and Suzanne Vega. Somehow I feel a female voice won't quite be there, if you know what I mean. But I'll try out early Joni M. Thanks everybody.
Thought of another one -- Alexi Murdoch -- very much in the Nick Drake vein. Jose Gonzalez another good one. Also, it's funny -- I do think of the early Joni Mitchell in the same vein, though on the surface there's little similar other than using alternate tunings.
The second I read the post, I thought "Alexi Murdoch." I read all the posts to make sure I wasn't repeating anyone, get to the bottom, and there you are Darkj. Great call.
I have to second Alexi Murdoch as very similar to Nick Drake, but so similar in fact that I might not even recommend him. He's basically a rip-off of Nick Drake directly. For example - One of Nick Drake's top songs: "Pink Moon." One of Alexi Murdoch's top songs: "Orange Sky."
His lyrical presentation is very similar, same stripped-down shoe-gazing acoustics, and sad but hopeful at times. I like it quite a bit, but within the context of knowing it has already been done before.
Thanks again. I listened to a couple of clips on the internet from Alexi Murdoch's 'Time without consequence', and yes, there were deifinite echoes of Drake. Perhaps as close as anyone can possibly get, but (unfortunately0 that's still not very close. Maybe there will never be anyone like him. I played the Pink Moon album twice last evening, and it filled my living room with magic.
If you haven't listened to Sufjan Stevens "Come On Feel The Illinoise" yet you really should. I seriously put this cd on every day for nearly three weeks. It will give you goose bumps and that doesn't happen as often as it used to.
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