James William Hindle Town Feeling CD

There's something hauntingly odd about the opening track of James William Hindle's Town Feeling. "Dog and Boy" sounds as though it could've been recorded in Britain in the early '70s, as folk-rockers like Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny segued into singer/songwriters. Hindle's mid- to high-vocals exhibit a romantic vulnerability, and the lovely, spacious arrangements -- dominated by pedal steel -- perfectly underpin him. The follow-up song, "Silence," flows more like a pop song, but includes an oddly beautiful trumpet break in the middle (think Robyn Hitchcock meets the Hank Dogs), while the harmony of "Sleeping" reminds one of the Incredible String Band. Hindle's music, however, isn't derivative. He has nonetheless co-opted a classic feel to a number of these songs that runs counter to the current music scene. Who, for instance, would think -- as Hindle does -- that a banjo break would work in the middle of a love song like "Love You and More"? Probably no one, but it works just the same. The album seems to settle into a certain predictable mode by mid-point, and nothing on the album quite reaches the heights of the opener. But Hindle deserves credit for delivering an honest album with fresh arrangements. For Hitchcock and even Donovan fans, Town Feeling recalls the good old days without ever repeating them. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

For British folk-balladeer, James William Hindle, the road to success has mainly been outside his homeland. Though having opened for artists like The Shins and Devendra Banhart in bucolic England, it is the U.S. that has most openly embraced this young singer. On Town Feeling, his third full-length album, there are the same wistful, delicately-strummed melodies strewn with hope and acoustic longing that garnered critical praise for his self-titled debut and his second album Prospect Park. His songs have been featured on The OC, One Tree Hill, MTV Road Rules, The Real World and on the DVD releases for the show Roswell. On Town Feeling, there's the definite sound of a maturity found. After over a year of touring the U.S. with bands like Of Montreal, The Essex Green and The Ladybug Transistor and appearing on compilations with Elliott Smith, Bright Eyes, Wilco and Spoon, among others, Hindle's musical persona has begun to spread its wings. Hindle is ably joined on Town Feeling by members of Vetiver, Currituck Co. and Espers and it was recorded by Gary Olson of The Ladybug Transistor.He will be touring the U.S. opening for the innocence mission and Bart Davenport in the summer of 2005 and will be featured on an upcoming Rough Trade compilation.Press for James William Hindle's previous albums:Music's Best of '03#2 James William Hindle "Prospect Park" - Windy City Times (Chicago, Ill.) by Gregg Shapiro "After touring as a member of the Essex Green, British songsmith James William Hindle has left the Red House Painted sound of his first album behind for a much friendlier tone. His second album, Prospect Park, captures a lot of that Elephant 6 magic that acts like the Essex Green, Ladybug Transistor and the Sunshine Fix have spread over the years. So much, in fact, members of those bands have helped Hindle out as his own backing band. Keeping the faint bits of Americana heard on his debut, Hindle shines in mixing his styles without the slightest hint of change. Prospect Park is simply what dreams are made of." - Exclaim(James William Hindle) is pure Americana - MojoTOP PICK!6 out of 6"It would be difficult for any artist to match the quality of James William Hindle's debut album. But on Prospect Park, the second full-length album from this unique British gentleman, he far surpasses the quality his first release. This album does, in fact, rank right up there with some of the greatest pop albums of all time. Fantastic stuff. Highly recommended." - Babysue.com"British by birth, Hindle does everything he can to be an American, from swiping the somber moodswing of Elliott Smith to emulating the harmoniUncut (p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[I]t's a warm, blissed-out record of folksy charm..."