Well, it is the beginning of a new year and once again I find myself in the dead season of album releases. So, just like last year, I'll be focusing the next couple of reviews on the discography of a single artist, in this case, that of cult folk favorite Nick Drake. Now, back in the late 60's when Nick Drake first debuted with the somber and non intrusive Five Leaves Left, the public reception of his work was luke-warm to say the least, with a less than 5,000 copies of the LP being sold during Drake's lifetime. This would sadly be a trend for the rest of Drake's very short career which is a real shame, because while he is a folk icon nowadays, he did actually craft some legitimately fantastic music in the half decade that he was recording music. And while there is very little that is actually known about Drake on a personal level, his music really speaks not only for him, but also for itself in it's sad, often depressed moods and in just how beautifully delicate it all is. So, without further delay, let's get into this!
Five Leaves Left is as stated above, the debut album from Nick Drake. Released in 1969, it features rich acoustic instrumentation, backed by horns, strings and piano and the odd steel guitar here and there. And while I can't say that the components of this album are anything uncommon for the time, especially considering that guys like Neil Young and Bob Dylan were doing similar things in their music, it is the voice and somber emotions that sort of put this album in a place of its own. And yes, the argument could easily (and will be) made that Nick Drakes later output, most notably his final album Pink Moon is a lot more sad and depressive than this LP, it is important to understand that this album represents the moment in time where Drake was first revealing himself and his talent to the world, and while the public wasn't very receptive at the time, future generations would find attachment to this work in a big way.
I'll go ahead and say that I think the level of sadness and isolation that this and an album like Pink Moon bring to the table simply weren't recognized upon release because the world around it was not ready for patient, often near ambient folk music. Instead, the average music listener was more interested in folk music with a political edge, of which this album is completely devoid for the most part. Instead, Five Leaves Left acts as a meditation on Drake's personal feelings and moods, especially on tracks like "Man In A Shed" which points directly to Drake's introspective nature or "Day Is Done" which is easily the albums most depressive tune.
Though not every tune here is wallowing in sadness, as the simply beautiful and sort of cute "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" shows, Drake wasn't apposed to simply writing an upbeat song about a girl, or the sort of bitter-sweet closer "Saturday Sun" which leaves the album off on a contemplative note. And while I do love this album, I will admit that it isn't the most memorable music experience upon the first couple of listens; this album does require a bit of time to really sink in and even then, some of its moments can find themselves hanging in the background. But the talent on display here is simply undeniable; especially considering how young Drake was at the time of its recording. I'd also like to point out of great the guitar playing is here; Drake had a very smooth and confident finger-picked style that would improve on future releases, but always carried the tunes on his albums.
So, while not my favorite release from Nick Drake, Five Leaves Left is a fantastic starting point, and in my opinion, Drake only got better from here.
8.5/10
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