Fences Goes For Adds

Posted on Sep 12, 2016
Fences Goes For Adds

As Fences, Chris Mansfield pours his everything into writing musical missives that hold a mirror to his foibles, his heart, his hurt, and his confusion. Drawn to experimental jazz, he ignored pop and rock music as a young man and went to school at the prestigious Berklee College of Music to study double bass. It was there that a roommate turned him on to Elliott Smith, which led to what Mansfield calls a “super crazy awakening.” The fragility of Smith’s music and delivery spoke to him, and hearing it inspired him to drop out of school, trade his bass for an acoustic guitar, and begin channeling his emotions into songwriting. The raw yet poetic quality of his music – built largely on Mansfield’s strumming and sweetly torn vocals – piqued the ears of Sara Quin (of Tegan & Sara), who produced his 2010 self-titled debut. He followed that in 2015 with Lesser Oceans, which offered bolder hooks and a broader sonic palette to supplement his sparkling confessionals. Now, Mansfield returns with To The Tall Trembling Trees, a self-produced EP that finds the artist starting a new chapter in his life after the birth of his daughter, Cedar.

“Hunting Season” opens the collection with a gently emotive piano line and a story about his mother and former stepfather, while “Cedar Wesley” explores his feelings as a new father. The brief and anthemic “Pale Paper” demonstrates Mansfield’s ability to use hooks to elevate difficult subject matter – in this case, about wasted time, a wasted life, being “owned” by a significant other, and feeling abandoned by God. Mansfield’s music has always been visual, as his words inspire wistful, nostalgic snapshots. His melodies, however, are what make his words stick.

“The perfect balance of uplifting instrumentation and depth in lyrical content.” -Renowned for Sound

“Spare, elegant arrangements and [an] easy way with a catchy chord progression or melody.” -The Stranger

RIYL: Rogue Wave, Bleachers, Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan & Sara, Vance Joy, Nada Surf, Ben Folds

Recommended Tracks: Track 3, “Pale Paper,” Track 6, “Buffalo Feet,” Track 1, “Hunting Season,” Track 2, “The Fountain” 

FCC Warning: Track 4, “Cedar Wesley”

Label: Votiv

Going For Adds 9/12 & 9/13

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