Sophie's Floorboard: Keaton Henson

"You're my best friend, and I'll love you 'til one of us dies"

Gentle, delicate, beautiful. Heartbreaking. Keaton Henson is a solitary man from London, England, and he is an artist in every possible use of the term. Visual, literary, musical, genius. However, as astounding as his entire body of work is, it's his music that is the focal point here. Keaton soundtracks feelings of isolation, loneliness, loss, and longing. He details events in his own life, covering everything from his own anxieties to failing relationships. His topics may not be all that optimistic, but in these sorrowful songs, one can find comfort in realising that they are not alone in their feelings, even in loneliness itself. He conveys his lyrics in his hushed, quivering voice. It sounds like a child shivering under their covers during a storm, but with the pain known only to a man who has lived too much. And the result is emotionally astounding. His musical backing is usually just his guitar, which is usually fairly simple, but with such elegantly raw tones. The chords, dynamics, and overall tone is truly the sound of a guitar while it "gently weeps". He makes beautiful use of vibrato and fingerpicking patterns, with unconventional chord structures and tunings. This description sounds very folk-y, which to an extent, it is. But very somber, modern, and unique to him. Other instruments are used frequently to expand upon his skeletal haunting sound, which turn his songs into quiet, melancholic tunes into orchestrated sadness in swelling motions, crashing into the listener. Listening to Keaton, a layer of skin is taken off, and it's almost as if the vulnerability he displays in parallelled in you, as you feel yourself open up to your own feelings and the connection you make with his. This is a stunning musical experience, and one I highly suggest you try. Enjoy everything below, and hopefully find solace in knowing you are not the only one that relates to this.