Making music equally inspired by the British folk of Fairport Convention and Bert Jansch and the volatile, textural rock of My Bloody Valentine, Gravenhurst was the brainchild of singer/multi-instrumentalist Nick Talbot. Gravenhurst's first album, 2002's Internal Travels, concentrated on simple but meticulous acoustic guitar work coupled with lyrics inspired by murder ballads. The following year, Talbot released the more elaborate, fuller-sounding Flashlight Seasons. 2005's Fires in Distant Buildings introduced chugging guitars into the mix, while the band's excellent 2007 album The Western Lands leaned more toward the space rock and shoegaze. ~ Heather Phares