The new single from Gregory Alan Isakov is typically atmospheric and gorgeously produced. Isakov shows his vocal range, from near-spoken low notes through to soaring, angelic highs, buoyed by layers of fine instrumentation. Sonically and lyrically, ‘The Fall’ is textured, layered and emotive. This is beautiful stuff.
The video was directed by Jasmine McGlade, who says: “Gregory’s music is so poignant, and ‘The Fall’ in particular has such a powerful, spiritual quality to it. I knew I wanted to make a video immersed in nature that fit with Greg’s aesthetic and the emotional realm of the song, while also creating characters and vintage, old-timey elements that connect with the lyrics. The piece, perhaps like the song, should ultimately say something about the human condition, and what it means to be alive—in a way that is a bit surrealist.” The animation from Ruth Lingford, with additional animation by George Lingford, complements the song well and is full of intriguing symbols and details, such as the tightrope-walker who supported and then lifted away by a flock of birds.
The single is taken from Isakov’s first new album in five years, ‘Appaloosa Bones’, which is due out on 18th August. Isakov says of the new record: “I set out to make a folky, small lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll record. And then the songs kind of told me, ‘No, this is what it’s going to be.’ And so I said, ‘OK,’ and after a while, I was just holding onto the reins, waiting to see where it was going and how the material worked. What I found was a collection of songs that brought me back to when I was starting out playing with the band—traveling a lot in the van, playing throughout the Southwest and West. These wide open landscapes had this quietness and expansive deepness that grounded me and evoked a lot of the curiosities I was drawn to when I started writing songs.” Through all the songs on the record, the lush combination of guitars, banjos and piano with Isakov’s distinctive voice and beautiful harmonies is carefully and intelligently crafted. The resulting collection is quietly, gracefully mesmerising and a captivating follow-up to 2018’s GRAMMY-nominated ‘Evening Machines’. Check it out.
Many thanks to Ben Ayres of Rough Trade Records for the exclusive photos.
