Overview
Jose Gonzalez makes a welcome return to Auckland, bringing his full band to perform at the iconic St. James Theatre. It’s been six years since the Swedish musician graced our shores and an even longer break between albums. 2015’s Vestiges & Claws LP saw Gonzalez collate a sprawling collection of work, not to mention that it's his first release of all original material – an important milestone for an artist whose most enduring popular recording is an acoustic cover.
Chipping away at songwriting over a seven-year period allowed focus on other ventures – Gonzalez contributed to The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty soundtrack and continued releasing music and touring with his side project, Junip. Easily his most anticipated album, Vestiges & Claws signals Gonzalez’s decision to go his own way. Choosing to work without a producer and maintain creative control over his own material, the album is simmering folk-rock, free from the conventions of modern pop sound. Far from polished, the artist points out his preference for the feeling of the album to lie “somewhere between Shuggie Otis and Simon & Garfunkel”.
In keeping with a warm, authentic sound, Vestiges & Claws is a lyrical change in direction for Gonzalez. Where previous albums often explored themes of sparseness, this album revolves around ideas of humanity and solidarity. Frustration and optimism, protest songs for the current day.