Around a year ago, I went through a transitional period in my life. Life had ceased to be the colorful utopia I thought it was. I hesitate to say I was "depressed," because I had many friends who were in far worse situations than myself, but I was not happy. I went through an extended period of anti-social and irritable behavior. It was hard to wake up and hard to go to sleep.
Just like millions before me, I turned to music. In the past I have written how music can make us feel and experience love, regret, joy, and nostalgia in ways that other expressive mediums cannot. Lost in a stream of Youtube videos, I came across one from Mahogany sessions. The thumbnail contained a bearded man with a parlor guitar. Out of sheer curiosity I clicked, and what I encountered was a skinny, frail man with an even frailer voice singing a song about being in a relationship where the speaker felt empty and even more alone than when he was alone. It was Keaton Henson, and ever since I have become interested in the man, his music, and what he brings to the industry. Overall, I learned how truly honest lyricism and simple, yet unique musical structure can affect a listener.
After watching this video, I was hooked. I had to know more about this man. I had to get into his shoes; I wanted to know who he was and what made him so unique. The next video I clicked started with one of the most honest lyrics I have ever heard; “sweetheart, what have you done to us?” The words are written out of rage and confusion, and although sung are written in a way that it is analogous to a conversation between two people grown apart.
After further research, I found that Henson's real-life personality is quite similar to this on-stage or rather on-computer-screen persona. Henson is notorious for not playing shows on a regular basis; he has only had a handful of shows, and only a handful of videos can be found online of him performing. Those videos are high quality however. He seems uncomfortable with public speaking.
In a rare interview for The Guardian, Henson reveals that he suffers from extreme stage fright and rarely talks to press for that very reason. Henson states; “I consider myself a writer, with adequate tools for that. But being a performer is a vastly different thing. To be able to work an entire room full of people… I have trouble working one person in conversation.” This is also evident in a video interview on youtube in which he responds with pictures rather than direct answers. Henson’s insecurity about himself and how others perceive him shrouds his lyrical and musical genius.
His website, keatonhenson.com, also illustrates his eccentric and eclectic nature. The home page contains a bird's nest with an array of clickable verbs such as pry, intrude, and listen. The “look” heading presents his videos as a films in an old theater format. Intrude, contains the digital version of what appears to be his own journal. Behind “gather” is a mailing list signup that reads “Keaton Henson spends his time alone, writing songs and sometimes drawing. He doesn’t like to talk about himself.”
However, in his “folk” albums, Henson really shines. Dear, Birthdays, and his newest album Kindly Now are among the best of what Henson has to offer. Not to say his other works are not stellar, but I find that these three albums are exceptional. When you listen through his discography you are greeted by a voice that is familiar, honest, and haunting at the same time. You feel what he feels—and if you haven’t experience what he is singing about, you sympathize.
I recommend Henson to anyone one, if not just to experience someone who treats music and writing in a genuine way apart from the money-hungry system. He makes his listeners feel something that other artists can't. As the comments on the video for his new single "Alright" state, "Keaton Henson comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable."
