There’s an art to maintaining a low profile. Hirta (in the guise of Alistair Paxton) whose new album, Soft Peaks represents a major step forward, has been able to maintain a sort of relative obscurity while still being in the public view. His band Stapleton never reached the top level of the charts during the days he lived in Glasgow. Moving to New York, he has spent time touring with Shilpa Ray, Sun Airway and Black Gold, while also working for a number of years on music for documentaries and art installations.
As Soft Peaks opens, one of the first phrases heard on ‘Black Chimneys’ is “Lang may yer lum reek,” a traditional Scottish greeting around the New Year. Translating to “Long may your chimney smoke,” it symbolises having enough of what you need to warm, safe and prosperous. The combination of guitars, and synths form a gentle bed for Paxton’s vocals. Besides setting the stage for the dawning of another year, there is a sense of hope woven into the words and music.
Rays of the sun wash the across the cover of Soft Peaks while a fingerpicked guitar plays off a bed of contemporary textures forming the basis for ‘Tell Tale Sun’. The entrance of drums propels the song as Paxton sings. Hints of early R.E.M. circle the air, while a 12-string adds a bit of The Byrds to the mix. Blending the old and new in this way Hirta acknowledges the past while still moving forward.
Having lived on the left side of the Atlantic Ocean for over a decade, Paxton has noticed an appreciation for his homeland that wasn’t part of his existence while he lived in Scotland. ‘Book of Ships’ features the chorus, “You know what’s right and what is wrong/ But do you know where you belong.” As he points out, “When you leave the country you were raised in and the dust settles, you eventually find yourself feeling more connected to your homeland than you ever did when you were there.”
Connecting to ‘Wave from Maine’, interlocking guitar parts float on the water, shifting and changing as they reach the shore. The subtleties within this instrumental track wash against the sands, ebbing and flowing, guitar against guitar.
The intricacies contained in these songs unfold again and again with each new listen. Songs like ‘Selenite’ and ‘Out in the Open’ have deceptively simple structures that continue to flower as notes and chords hang in the air. Hirta has created an album of enduring beauty from the beauty of steel strings blending with the drama of the heart. Soft Peaks lives in a world that straddles both sides of the Atlantic, seeing the world from perspectives, appreciating what exists on each side.