Doveman is a world other than this—an internal music, loose, playful, dreamstate music that has to be approached with openness and a willingness to be moved. Like Sigur Ros or Nick Drake you take it on its own terms and observe. The sound of someone embroidering patterns over a tear in the heart. - - Glen Hansard, leader of The Frames and star of the film Once
What a beautiful moody and soaring record! Full of great textures and ideas. - - Laurie Anderson
Bruised and thrilling, the new Doveman wheels from gray to yellow—from indescribable melancholy to moments of such beauty and lightness—like a nightbird rarely seen but sweetly lurking just outside your door. - - Bryan Devendorf from The National
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First of all there is his voice. First you will hear it -- maybe hate it -- but then, eventually, it will begin to transform how you think voices are supposed to sound. A frog in the throat, a kink in the heart, a rasp that doesn’t go away…
Then, hopefully, you will be overhwhelmed by the music -- an ebbing then swelling, oceanic thing, it comes than goes; tickles your ears then pokes you in the ribs; has unstoppable momentum (“Sunrise”; “Chasing Clouds,”) when it is not finding new ways to climax (“The Sunken Queen,” “Happy”) or standing absolutely stock still (“Tender Mercies”; “Castles”).
Doveman is 25-year old Thomas Bartlett and a select group of collaborators. On his sophomore album, With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead, the band includes banjo player Sam Amidon, a folk singer and old childhood friend; drummer Dougie Bowne, sideman to Iggy Pop, the Lounge Lizards, and Cassandra Wilson; guitarist and conjurer Shahzad Ismaily, who has previously appeared with that magical trifecta -- Marc Ribot, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, and Rage Against the Machine; and trumpeter Peter Ecklund, an expert in genres like swing and dixieland jazz. At various times there are various others. Doveman does not rehearse, but they sure can play.
When listening to this music you should keep in mind artists such as Frederic Chopin, Cat Power, Keith Jarrett, Talk Talk, and Chris Whitley -- unless you don't know any them or are not a fan, in which case you should keep in mind Nick Drake, The National, Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and other, trendier bands whose music has recently appeared in car commercials.
Together Doveman -- the Dovemen? -- make lovely, interesting, heart-rending sounds, like a broken wing flapping and starting to take flight.
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(psychedelic squiggles via short wave radio)
In 2005, Doveman released his debut, The Acrobat, ten songs, most of which had one-word titles. For all intents and purposes self-released, Pitchfork rated it an 8.0, proclaiming it, "A fascinating debut... One wants to build a seedy yet expensive wine lounge somewhere in East Village just to be able to play this album around last call." Stereogum.com said his music was “wistful, emotive, and delicately piercing.” Time Out NY called it “soul music for heady loners,” and commended a frontman who “often sounds as if he’s on the brink of passing out from heartache fumes.”
With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead was produced, engineered and mixed by Grammy Award winner Patrick Dillett with assorted creaks, clinks and interludes recorded by Thomas at home. (Dillett’s previous recording and production credits include Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, David Byrne, and Caetano Veloso.) The record sounds simultaneously more mature and more precocious than its predecessor. Weighing in at over an hour in length, the record is of a piece, its interludes as intriguing as the songs.
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(Thomas's parents live part time in Kathamandu, Nepal, Tibet, and he grew up playing the Bach’s Suites and “The Well Tempered Clavier” – facts about which this a reminder.)
Who is this little bird?
Thomas Bartlett grew up in Vermont, and began playing ukelele at age three, after the wardens at his daycare found him strumming a block and decided he could probably put resonant strings to good use. He began playing piano at age five, and never stopped -- dropping out of high school to study in London with Maria Curcio, one of the 20th century’s greatest classical music teachers, responsible for shaping Radu Lupu, Mitsoku Uchida, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, and many other top notch pianists who pop and indie rock fans haven’t heard about, and probably never will.
Thomas went on to Columbia University for a year but dropped out – again -- this time to concentrate on his classical music studies, until he dropped out – again! -- this time to play with bands. He quickly become one of the most in-demand sidemen in New York City, insofar as New York City equals “the world.” In the last year, Thomas has played or recorded with Antony & the Johnsons, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, The Frames, Bebel Gilberto, Arto Lindsay, The National, and Yoko Ono. And that's just the famous ones. Not bad for a 25-year old serial dropout.
He’s still young so there’s not much else. Thomas has lived in Harlem since the year 2000, and enjoys cocktails, his large collection of top shelf liquor, home cooking, and complaints about his singing voice.
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(does a Doveman feel the blues?)
When has anger been delivered so softly?
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(anticipate the reprise)
Why don’t more artists make music that gets more ambiguous and memorable with time?
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(more ghosts on the shortwave radio)
How many singer-songwriters are also expert improvisers?
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(more Bach with moving chairs & some bagpiper appeal)
Most artists make an album and call it a day. Doveman has crammed two great albums together, and the result is what you hold in your hands.
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(we end where we begin)
Let Doveman be your new favorite man, or your new favorite band. Or don't. I mean, it’s not like we care. Except when we really, really do.
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