Elk-Lake Serenade

From Amazon.ca
Is it any accident that all of Hayden Desser's album covers are earth tones? Chocolate browns, grassy greens, warm hues in the shades of faded-out polaroids decorate all of them. That same visual consistency applies to his music; pick up a Hayden disc and you're guaranteed to get an earful of acoustic guitar twang, harmonica swoop and softness. Acoustic Neil Young comparisons have followed him since the beginning, but ultimately, Young's song "Helpless" can best explain Hayden's appeal; fragile yet warm vocals accompanied by steel string resonance, combined with moments of space and quiet, these qualities are all parts of what makes Hayden great.

Elk-Lake Serenade contains all the consistencies guaranteed to charm; spots where he whispers musical secrets in your ear (the lullaby-like "Wide Eyes" and "Starting Over", a tale of impetuous desire), or sings full-throated upbeat charms, like the Cuban-influenced single "Hollywood Ending". Thankfully, there are also the trademark twisted folk tales, including the melodically beautiful "Killbear", a story about a man watching his wife get mauled by an animal attack. The juxtaposition of Hayden¹s languid, lovely melodies mixed with Twin Peaks-esque tales make the surreal numbers that much more captivating.

An adoring fan base has blossomed organically over the ten years that he has been performing, and this new material continuing to subtly evolve in beauty and orchestration without becoming overdone will no doubt add to the appeal of Hayden¹s longevity. While many comparisons have been made, ultimately, there is no one out there singing and writing songs like these subtle charmers. --Denise Sheppard

Elk-Lake Serenade,Hayden,Badman Records,American Trad Rock,Pop,Rock,Sadcore,Singer/Songwriter

Average customer rating: Folksy, Griity, Beautiful A touching, beautiful, profoundly moving album Wonderful... as ususal! Elk Lake Serenade- Hayden I love this album

Elk-Lake Serenade Hayden Manufacturer: Badman Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Skyscraper National Park Live at Convocation Hall Everything I Long For The Closer I Get Moving Careful ASIN: B00026KGHO Release Date: 2004-05-18

Tracks:

1. Wide Eyes
2. Home By Saturday
3. Woody
4. This Summer
5. Hollywood Ending
6. Robbed Blind
7. Killbear
8. Through The Rads
9. Starting Over
10. Don't Get Down
11. Roll Down That Wave
12. My Wife
13. 1939
14. Elk-Lake Serenade
15. Looking Back To Me

From Amazon.ca

Is it any accident that all of Hayden Desser's album covers are earth tones? Chocolate browns, grassy greens, warm hues in the shades of faded-out polaroids decorate all of them. That same visual consistency applies to his music; pick up a Hayden disc and you're guaranteed to get an earful of acoustic guitar twang, harmonica swoop and softness. Acoustic Neil Young comparisons have followed him since the beginning, but ultimately, Young's song "Helpless" can best explain Hayden's appeal; fragile yet warm vocals accompanied by steel string resonance, combined with moments of space and quiet, these qualities are all parts of what makes Hayden great.

Elk-Lake Serenade contains all the consistencies guaranteed to charm; spots where he whispers musical secrets in your ear (the lullaby-like "Wide Eyes" and "Starting Over", a tale of impetuous desire), or sings full-throated upbeat charms, like the Cuban-influenced single "Hollywood Ending". Thankfully, there are also the trademark twisted folk tales, including the melodically beautiful "Killbear", a story about a man watching his wife get mauled by an animal attack. The juxtaposition of Hayden¹s languid, lovely melodies mixed with Twin Peaks-esque tales make the surreal numbers that much more captivating.

An adoring fan base has blossomed organically over the ten years that he has been performing, and this new material continuing to subtly evolve in beauty and orchestration without becoming overdone will no doubt add to the appeal of Hayden¹s longevity. While many comparisons have been made, ultimately, there is no one out there singing and writing songs like these subtle charmers. --Denise Sheppard

Customer Reviews:

Folksy, Griity, Beautiful.......2006-09-07

Hayden is a beautiful artist. This most recent album is put together very well, and the recording is tight. One of the best indie-artists making music today, suprised he isn't more popular. The album starts off with a short soft song, "wide eyes" and then moves on the country twinged "home by saurday", which is my favorite song. His lyrics are some of the best little stories ever told. Over all this album is worthy of anyones collection, but although I gave it 5 stars, Skyscraper National Park is my favorite.

A touching, beautiful, profoundly moving album.......2006-03-29

I honestly don't know how I found out about this guy. It may have been through one of those online expeditions that I sometimes undertake in search of new music. However I learned of Hayden, it resulted in my looking for a copy here on Amazon and buying it without ever even having heard the guy. I can't express how extremely happy I am to have taken a chance on this. My next order on Amazon will be for the bulk of his catalog. I simply have to hear more of this guy.

Hayden Desser is a miniaturist. Whitman claimed to see God in every object and in a way Desser sees something marvelous in small things. His songs are focused on very distinct moments, easily demarcated moments. In one song he asks a woman to hold him so that his old girlfriend will be jealous when she sees them, but finds he can't be bothered to see if his girlfriend sees them when he holds this woman. He writes a song about how happy he is that his cat loves the spring. On a scarier level he sings of how he would have acted differently when his old love and her new lover were attacked camping by a grizzly bear. He sings of meeting a movie star who is filming a movie outside his house. Throughout all he expresses deep emotions, almost always soft, caring, reflective emotions. Once he does almost get angry, when his wife's former boyfriend visits them and is obviously regretful that he didn't stay with her. But even then the most he can bring himself to express is that he doesn't like the guy and wants him to leave.

Many people have made comparisons between Hayden and the acoustic Neil Young. They sound vaguely similar, but there is less of an edge to Hayden (at least on this album), and a far greater delicacy in his songwriting. In some ways Hayden reminds me of Sam Beam aka Iron and Wine. Both writers are deeply poetical in their lyrics, both are acoustic, and both have gentle voices. Hayden, however, is a far more subjective songwriter, always focusing on mood and emotion, while Beam is willing to explore a greater range of subject matter. I would love to see the Canadian and the Floridian perform together. They truly do seem kindred spirits.

My favorite song on the album is one of the most positive, life-affirming songs I've heard in a long time, "Don't Get Down." The sentiments expressed on the song are not terribly deep, but they are deeply moving because they sound so unforced and so sincere. He starts off simply:

Don't get down
Don't waste time on things you can't ever change
I know we all do

Somehow that affirmation that we all get down on ourselves for things we can't change or for hanging out with people we don't even like is made marvelous by that little phrase, "I know we all do," which makes the song both sympathetic and comforting at the same time and makes the singer part of the same fraternity. The song closes with the wonderful admonition:

And find something that will make you feel
Like every day's too short

In other words, make the most of life while you can. This is just one of the many gorgeous moments on this album. It seems sometimes to me that our world is, at least in terms of music, a bizarro world like in the old Superman comics, where everyone seems to like terrible stuff and hates truly wonderful things. I've never understood how people like Dave Matthews can achieve stardom while vastly more talented individuals like Hayden or Eleventh Dream Day or Iron and Wine remain only marginally successful. This simply does not make any sense to me. In the meantime, before the aesthetic revolution takes place, if you love truly great, instead of merely popular, music, please do yourself and get this album.

Wonderful... as ususal!.......2006-02-01

A wonderful addition to the Hayden repetoir. This is a fantastic album as are all of his other albums. If you have a chance to see him live it's well worth it.

Elk Lake Serenade- Hayden.......2004-08-23

Having been a fan for some ten years now, I can say that I grew up listening to Hayden. The Closer I Get had heavy play time when I first learned to drive, his follow up EP, Moving Careful, reminds me of my first girlfriend. Subsequent releases each have their own personal sentiments for me as I grew up and moved out. That is why I think his music is so memorable- it evokes such emotion in the listener because Hayden sings as if it is only he who can hear it. Elk Lake combines the roughshod melancholy of his earlier work with a new zeal and lightheartedness. One can only imagine how this musical evolution has come to be- Hayden is a very private individual, content to let his work stand on its own, without any interpretation from the author. Elk Lake expands Hayden's repetoire of instruments, it takes up where Skyscraper left off, and is a stunning testament to his musical genius. Those of you who can, please, see Hayden in concert. There you will experience his music in a fuller and more vibrant form than can be captured on CD. If not, buy the vinyl LP. I think the author would agree with me.

I love this album.......2004-06-28

Sweet music to my ears. This is my favourite Hayden album to date. I'm so glad someone put a guitar in his hands way back when. One of my all time favourite story tellers. I can imagine listening to this album when I'm old and grey. This one is timeless.

Average customer rating: A guy you can trust Elk Lake Serenade

Elk-Lake Serenade Hayden Manufacturer: Universal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B00024IEUC Release Date: 2004-05-24

Tracks:

1. Wide Eyes
2. Home by Saturday
3. Woody
4. This Summer
5. Hollywood Ending
6. Robbed Blind
7. Killbear
8. Through the Rads
9. Starting Over
10. Don't Get Down
11. Roll Down That Wave
12. My Wife
13. 1939
14. Elk-Lake Serenade
15. Looking Back to Me

Customer Reviews:

A guy you can trust.......2005-02-08

There are few bands or solo performers whose albums I can safely buy without listening to it first. Hayden is one of those artists. having been a fan for ten years I've come to expect a certain level of song craft and beauty from hayden, and Elf lake does not dissapoint. On first listening, it struck me that Hayden, an artist I never thought would be releasing CDs ten years later, is slowly but surely laying claim to his place in canadian music history. Indeed I do not think it an exaggeration to say that Hayden could turn out as prolific and important as neil young. Like Mr. Young, it seems that Hayden approaches his craft with one simple intention: to get you singing along. objective achieved.

Elk Lake Serenade.......2004-05-29

This album is amazing. The only other Hayden Cd I owned before this was Everything I long for. This is just as good. Infact now I've ordered all his other albums. I was lucky enough to see him in Victoria BC right before the album was released and I recomend seeing him live if you get the chance. Also he seemed like a pretty cool guy so buy the album don't burn it!

Average customer rating:

Elk-Lake Serenade Hayden Manufacturer: Spunk ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Lo-Fi | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0003040BM Release Date: 2006-10-23

Tracks:

1. Wide Eyes
2. Home by Saturday
3. Woody
4. This Summer
5. Hollywood Ending
6. Robbed Blind
7. Killbear
8. Through the Rads
9. Starting Over
10. Don't Get Down
11. Roll Down That Wave
12. My Wife
13. 1939
14. Elk-Lake Serenade
15. Looking Back to Me
16. Australia

Album Description

Australian edition of his 2004 studio album includes a bonus track, 'Australia'. Spunk. 2004.

Album Details

Hayden is an Extraordinary Singer-songwriter from Toronto in Canada. His Album, 'elk-lake Serenade', is an Intimate, Heartfelt, and Organic Record with One Foot in the Lo-fi Camp of Beck and Will Oldham and the Other in the Classic Rock Sound of Crosby, Dylan, Petty, and Young. Built on Acoustic Guitars with Little Splashes of Colour Like Handclaps, Tooting Horn Sections, and Subtle Strings, the Record Sounds Remarkably Large in Its Smallness. Hayden is in Fine Voice, Tender and Sweet with a Fragile Quality.

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