Single Review: Open Book // José González

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‘Open Book’ is the third single presented to us by José González,, taken from his latest return to music: Vestiges and Claws. Having gone underground for near 8 years, González has returned with a masterpiece. Whether it’s his greatest asset or biggest downfall, José’s style has endured even with the context of the music industry changing around him since his last appearance. González has channeled all of his energy into creating something which has the beauty of a Simon and Garfunkel song and holds the lyrical depth of Sufjan Stevens.

González produced ‘Open Book’ himself, which gives the recording an untarnished, raw quality. The song forces you into isolation and solitude creeps into the room. The song is an expression of both love and desperation for González, which gives the single some kind of authority.

As always, González’s vocals are soft and passive, yet there is a definite undertone of restraint. He explores the opposite ends of his able pitch but never raises his voice to more than a whisper. His complex finger picking wraps the listener up in what is a web of raw emotion.

González’s tone restrains his desperation and is self-righteous if not slightly Manichean. The video is interesting too. It perfectly illustrates the weight that González has to carry on his shoulders and elevates the song to something rather beautiful. It finishes with the cutting of the metaphorical ‘umbilical cord’ and we see González finally escape from the torment back to his lonely hotel room. The track is inspiring with its melancholic highs and restrained lows; rather than using instrumental backing, the track builds depth using layers of vocals. Although simple, his work is as elegant as Bryter Layter and is therefore astonishingly brilliant.

Words by Matt King – @matt_ajk

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