Parader [CD]

Keaton Henson is shedding the "quiet boy" persona that has defined much of his career. Embracing the grunge-infused sounds of his youth on new album Parader, the elusive songwriter melds emotional darkness, melancholy, and seething frustration as he reckons with the hauntings of his past: "I was nervous about being too loud, but then it sort of just came out." What unravels across Parader's 12 tracks is an introspective autopsy of time as it distorts and folds to inhabit the songwriter's present. "There are these disjointed snapshots," he shares, "memories across time popping up amongst this collection of thoughts about what it feels like to be this age and a musician." Production duties were split between Luke Sital-Singh and Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, Suki Waterhouse) and there are collaborations with his wife, Danielle Fricke, and Ratboys' Julia Steiner. Keaton Henson has a well-worn reputation as a softly-spoken, reclusive figure who rarely performs live. Since emerging with his debut record in 2010, he has garnered critical acclaim for his mastery at weaving heart-on-sleeve vulnerability into emotionally poignant, folk-tinged outpourings.