We’re delighted to premiere ‘The One’ from Thomas Abban. The Minneapolis multi-instrumentalist is known, in particular, for his exciting guitar work. On record, of course, Abban layers his instrumental parts to create a full-band sound and there are a whole range of genres that find their way into his music. However, in this live video recording, he relies just on his clean, clear vocal and acoustic guitar. The effect is reinforced by the straightforward approach to the visual, focusing all our attention on the delicate finger-picking and heartfelt words. His voice is striking, soulful and commanding. When he changes the tempo with a sudden forceful strum and creates an insistent percussive sound by knocking the guitar’s body, we begin to see the range of his talent. Then Abban’s singing voice soars and we are absorbed just as Abban is, himself, lost in the music. Abban told AUK about making the video: “I believe this was the first video we filmed, and I began building the rest of the statues for the set after this. The abandoned building we shot these in at 3am was extremely hot which definitely added to the atmosphere.”
‘The One’ is taken from Abban’s brand new second album, ‘The Spiritualizer’, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2017 release, ‘A Sheik’s Legacy’. Abban says of the new record: “With everything I did and with everything happening how it did, where it did, and with all those involved who did it, this work seemed like the only thing to do. There’s not much I can say about this album other than it’s been with me in one form or another for a long while, the rest it can say itself and much better like intersecting lines and concepts, monoliths and miniatures, sirens and sailors, pathways through the water-filled skies and all the words between amen.” Abban grew up in Wales and didn’t move to the USA until he was twelve years old. From then, he was immersed in the blues and started to create his own music from a young age. At just seventeen, he was trying to get the eclectic mix of music in his head out into the world. Thomas Abban is a gifted musician and songwriter – certainly one to watch. Check it out.
