Nick Drake - Hazey Jane IIAlbum: Bryter Layter [1970]
a singular talent who passed almost unnoticed during his brief lifetime, nick drake produced several albums of chilling, somber beauty. with hindsight, these have come to be recognized as peak achievements of both the british folk-rock scene and the entire rock singer/songwriter genre. sometimes compared to van morrison, drake in fact resembled donovan much more in his breathy vocals, strong melodies, and the acoustic-based orchestral sweep of his arrangements. his was a much darker vision however, with disturbing themes of melancholy, failed romance, mortality, and depression lurking just beneath, or even well above, the surface. ironically, drake has achieved a far greater stature in the decades following his death, with an avid cult following that grows by the year. part of his failure to attract a mass audience was attributable to his almost pathological reluctance to perform live. his debut, "five leaves left"[1969], was the first in a series of three equally impressive, and quite disparate, albums. with understated folk-rock backing, drake created a vaguely mysterious, haunting atmosphere, occasionally embellished by tasteful baroque strings. his lyrics hinted at melancholy, yet any thoughts of despair were alleviated by the gorgeous, uplifting melodies and calm, measured vocals. "bryter layter" was perhaps his most upbeat effort, with traces of jazz in the arrangements. on some cuts (the title track for example), he dispensed with lyrics altogether, offering only gorgeous, orchestrated instrumental miniatures that stood well on their own. neither album sold well, and drake, already a brooding loner, plunged into serious depression that often found him unable to make music, work, or even walk and talk. he managed to produce one final full-length work, "pink moon" [1972], a desolate solo acoustic album that ranks as one of the most naked and bleak statements in all of rock. drake's final couple of years were marked by increasing psychiatric difficulties, which found him hospitalized at one point for several weeks. He had rarely played live during his days as a recording artist, and at one point declared his intention never to record again, although he wished to continue to write songs for others. on november 26, 1974, he died in his parents' home from an overdose of antidepressant medication; suicide has been speculated, although some of his family and friends dispute this. he is undoubtedly revered by many listeners today, with a following that spans generations, and his pensive loneliness speaks directly to contemporary alternative rockers who share his sense of morose alienation.
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