Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden and William Tyler: Their New Album Late ‘80s – An Experimental Interpretation on Country Roots
It may seem that Kieran Hebden is jumping in late to the Americana trend, but this is not a case of uncharacteristic trend-chasing. For one, the origins of this partnership alongside former Lambchop guitarist William Tyler date back to the year 2020; additionally, their latest release serves as a paean to the 1980s Americana music Kieran’s father would play round the house when he was a kid.
The record is titled for Hebden’s childhood home in south-west London, a place filled with musical memories which William’s own father, a songwriter was professionally involved in.
Although that neat origin tale, the suggestive name and the fact that it opens with a reworking of country mainstay Lyle Lovett’s beautiful and sweetly bizarre 1987 track If I Had a Boat, 41 Longfield Street Late ‘80s is not an overtly nostalgic album, nor is it tightly structured.
Classic Americana tones rarely fuses with Hebden’s soporific synths and intense waves of noise: the aforementioned opener kicks off with a hum that wavers in intensity similar to the motion of a benevolent alien spacecraft, nearly overwhelming Tyler’s faithful rendition of Lovett’s soothingly lovely guitar work.
Next, the track “Spider Ballad” combines pointillist synths with an repetitive low-end rhythm, while the dreamlike Loretta Guides My Hands Through the Radio layers recording banter and musical adjustments.
William’s instrumentation does return: combined with chimes on Timber, and on final track “Secret City”, a mix of heavenly electronics and meditative strumming.
An attempt to bring back the past era and/or childhood friendships this is not, but Tyler and Hebden have managed to provide a novel though somewhat fragmented take on early musical influences.
