Ed Harcourt leaves his orchestral sound behind on Back Into The Woods. He locked himself in the company of his piano and a minimalist backing band in the Abbey Road Studios for six hours and came back with these nine beautifully arranged piano numbers. Due to the sober accompaniment, his hoarse voice is even more in the spotlight than on previous work. Opener The Cusp & The Wane is immediately
… the first convincing piece of evidence. Hey Little Bruiser that follows is just as beautiful, but at the same time gives a somewhat uncomfortable feeling. A feeling that lingers up to and including the final piece The Man That Time Forgot. There is a gloomy atmosphere about Back Into The Woods, something that the title suggests. Harcourt almost drowns in its own melancholy, but it delivers beautiful, emotional songs like Brothers & Sisters and Last Will & Testament op. Hartcourt's seventh is not an album to cheer up, but the subtlety and desolate atmosphere he creates will leave few unaffected. (BvdV)more
