Edward Penfold - Caulkhead
Caulkhead is the nickname given to a native of the Isle of Wight. Located a few miles to the south coast of England, it is the birthplace of Edward Penfold.
Available on a very limited edition run of 100 12” vinyl in handmade fabric sleeves (NOW SOLD OUT). 2nd pressing on clear vinyl now available. Limited edition of 250. It’s also available digitally, on CD and on cassette.
We previously featured two of Edward’s songs on ‘Vegetarian Meat Vol 2’ back in April 2015. Edward Penfold is also a member of experimental psych and garage trio Taos Humm.
Edward Penfold’s music is a blend of the old and the new, nostalgic but not dated. More than anything it sounds like now. It’s music from the heart, a hazy collection of sounds and moods – sometimes upbeat, sometimes down but always genuine and always captivating. His lyricism reflects the observation and eloquence of a very English sort of poetry, seeing the depth in the shallows of life, the profundity in the mundane. All accepted with a matter-of-factness that is reflected in the driving impetus in every song, whether slow or fast or groovy.
Accompanied by friends, the members of the band also form fellow Bristolian bands; Taos Humm, Velcro Hooks & Factotum. Along with record producer/engineer Dom Mitchison (Malthouse Studios) the group travelled to the Isle of Wight, where they spent a week recording Caulkhead.
Following in the footsteps of Syd Barrett and lending structure from Neil Young’s first self-titled album; folkier ballads are interspersed with punchy 60’s garage tinged tunes such as Sunny Day, If You Like and Up Down along with the lush, drawn out instrumentals; Lawrence of Arabica, P.P.S and Song for Joan.
Sonically, the album owes much of its quality to an 80’s Boots brand single track tape machine used for much of the recording, with it’s own unique warm and heavily compressed sound.
The end result is in Edward’s own words…
‘‘I would try to make a counter response to everything I do. For instance if I would make a ‘nice’ melody, I would try to offset that with something discordant. Or if the lyrics were becoming either too melodramatic or jokey, I would try to use the other to pull it back into the centre. Where they can both ideally exist.’’ – Monolith Cocktail
Track List;
Lawrence Of Arabica
Up Down
Sunny Day
Caulkhead
Hogwash
PPS
If You Like
Tired
Song For Joan (Piano Song)
“Lost but found, a cult classic in the making, his disarming inaugural solo album of what on the surface seems fleeting and empirical songs, will in fact linger in the conscious and stay with you long after you’ve heard them. This is a most fantastic start to the maverick songwriters solo pathway.” – Monolith Cocktail
