Dry Stick is the musical project of Kudre Haan, singer songwriter in the orchestra Homesick Hank. He’s just come to my attention through the release of his second album, The Isolation Tapes.
By Graeme Smith
The word “isolation”, I think, will forever be associated with the coronavirus pandemic and its resulting lockdown. It’s in that time that Dry Stick’s new album is set. It was conceived in a remote farmhouse in Sweden where Kudre spent some time trying to escape the craziness of the period, and to stay close to his music.
Though the almost live recordings suggest the insular and disconnected, the lyrical themes covered on The Isolation Tapes are distinctly outward-looking. Kudre meditates on topics such as the climate crisis, love, nature, money and the other glue that holds our society together (or the forces that tear it apart).
How About Love opens the album and instantly creates a strong atmosphere. Lonesome folk and country creates the emotional backdrop on which pleading, romantic lyrics are delivered by expressive, soulful vocals. There’s a gruffness about Kudre’s voice that makes it feel tremendously authentic, and the soaring harmonies of the chorus seal the deal.
From there we get a rich musical tapestry that includes elements of rock, gospel and pop. The album’s introspective folk numbers such as Easy, Sliding or The Change are punctuated nicely by vibrant high points like expansive single Cranes, the ecclesiastical chorus of Keep Coming Back and defiant album closer Let it Burn.
With his latest album, Dry Stick is proving that he is the master of bringing together traditional country and the unexpected. Across the eleven tracks of The Isolation Tapes we get relatable storytelling and some strong, genuine emotion. It’s an album to which I’ll certainly be returning.
The Isolation Tapes was produced by Kudre Haan and Jesper Andersen. It was mixed by Jesper Andersen and composed by Kudre Haan. Featuring on the album are Kudre Haan on vocals, acoustic guitar and percussion, Jesper Andersen on keys, Leif Bruun on pedal steel, Karen Duelund Guastavino on clarinet and saxophone, Peter Monrad on bass, Klaus Møller on electric guitar and guitar, Tobias ‘Tex’ Lange on drums and Jeppe Holst on electric guitar.
You can give the album a listen below.