“Leave This Town“
from the album Sleep at Your Own Speed
2008
iTunes
Sometimes less is more. Manchester native Joel Nicholson, who performs under the moniker Butcher the Bar, describes his intimate band as “me and my bedroom,” and rightfully so, his sparse approach to music concocts the image of the 22-year-old plucking away atop his childhood bed.
While the personalized sentiment can be heard throughout his latest single, “Leave This Town” tells an antipodal story of escape to Western civilization. Accompanied by gentle guitar-picking and tender banjo-plucking, layered harmonies, and soft, breathy vocals a la Sufjan Stevens or hauntingly reminiscent of Elliott Smith, he paints a pastoral picture of serenity that both soothes and consoles in a beautiful, minimalistic way.