For Immediate Release
March 20, 2019
Krief to release new single in March, new album coming in June
Indie singer-songwriter Krief (full name Patrick Krief) is set to release the first single, “Take The Night,” from his new album, on March 22, 2019 via Rock Ridge Music in the U.S. “Take The Night” appears on Krief’s forthcoming album, Dovetale, which is set for simultaneous U.S. (Rock Ridge Music) and Canadian (Indica) release on June 7, 2019. The video for the track premieres today at Exclaim! (http://exclaim.ca/music/article/krief_premieres_take_the_night_video). For fans looking for another sneak peek at Dovetale, there will be a second single, “Tonight,” which will be released on May 3, 2019.
A truly solo endeavor — Krief plays all the instruments on Dovetale — the album was recorded and mixed between Krief’s home studio and Mixart in his home base of Montreal. It echoes dream pop and shoegaze as well as the classic pop, rock, and folk that have always been Krief’s songwriting foundation as the former co-writer and guitarist with Montreal “orchestral pop noir” band the Dears, a position he filled for over a decade.
Says Krief about the new music, “Dovetale is a collection of love songs unencumbered by other-thinking, or over-production. I really allowed myself to be vulnerable with this album. While the album as a whole has more of a positive and lighthearted theme, songs like “Take The Night” and “Dovetale” call back some sentiments of betrayal, anger, and bring them into a new context, one in which darkness is confronted head-on.”
On Dovetale, Krief presents a triumphant union of contemporary pop and rock sounds that emerged from the literal honeymoon phase of his marriage. While domestic bliss doesn’t typically inspire the kind of open-heart poetry and high-octane pop sound that Krief is known for — and his previous release Automanic was an epic double album fueled by heartbreak and self-destruction — the conception of Dovetale found him at the peak of his game artistically as well as personally.
“It really is a way more positive record,” Krief says. “A lot of the songs still reflect on that darker period, but there’s a feeling of optimism and gratitude for how things have turned out.” The album explores the wonderment that comes with the first blush of new love (without being too maudlin about it) as well as some of the insecurities that come with blossoming relationships. Musically, Krief indulges in lush strings and layers of melodic guitars, yet he also scaled back the dense arrangements that he feels he’s been hiding behind, highlighting an impressive vocal range — from a masterful falsetto to a half-sung baritone reminiscent of Leonard Cohen.
“The album was mixed to feature the vocals and make sure the songs stood out and didn’t get lost in big fat walls of sound,” Krief says. “I really wanted to focus on the melody, the basic songwriting, and on making the songs more vulnerable.”
Brooklyn Vegan has praised his “anthemic, widescreen sound,” while Clash Music has lauded his “confident, mature songwriting.” The Waterloo Record said of his last album, Automanic, “Krief’s music is dark, intelligent, and sonically opulent. His deep voice is a like a hypnotic instrument as he takes the listener through an aural opus of intertwining emotional scenarios.” Exclaim! dubbed his last record an “honest musical take on life.” Jam Magazine called his music “a gorgeous listening experience.”
Post-Dears, Krief’s “solo” career has evolved from side-project band (Black Diamond Bay) to more of a one-man effort with a succession of guests, which segued to the he-does-it-all Dovetale. A tour is planned in support of the new record (dates to be announced soon).