Sean Carey's music is awash in delicate, aching intimacy — no surprise, given that he's learned from a master. The singer and multi-instrumentalist, who records under the name S. Carey, is a permanent member of Bon Iver, whose sound can be eggshell-fragile, thunderously triumphant or eerily otherworldly, sometimes within a single song.
Carey is set to release a new album, Hundred Acres, on Feb. 23. To prepare, he's assembled a lovely performance video alongside his band (bassist Jeremy Boettcher, pedal-steel ace Ben Lester and guitarist Zach Hanson), with whom he performs a tender new song called "Fool's Gold." Shot beside a roaring fire at The Hive in Eau Claire, Wisc., the live recording stays faithful to the version you'll hear on Hundred Acres; both find Carey eschewing his usual piano for an acoustic guitar.
It's a wonderfully ingratiating performance, even before you soak up Lester and Hanson's handsome and impeccably chosen Green Bay Packers garb. And it hints at the considerable power of Hundred Acres, which streamlines Carey's sound without sacrificing a shred of his grace or inventiveness.
Hundred Acres comes out Feb. 23 via Jagjaguwar.
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