When you talk to John Nielsen, it’s pretty hard to get a picture of what the man behind The Cloud Hymn is like. It’s not for any want of information though; Nielsen deals out facts about the recording process, the people in his band (his girlfriend Tani Alyssa, and piano wunderkind Paul Brandt) and even possible tours in large doses. No, Nielsen’s shroud of mystery comes from his good old-fashioned Midwest modesty. When asked about how the recording of his new Amble Down-released album, A Seed Buried in the Ground, has changed his approach to music, you can almost hear him blush on the other end of the phone. “Once Kyle (Frenette of Amble Down) got involved, he really took off with it,” says Nielsen. “I didn’t have too much to do with the record beside answering Myspace messages from other people doing all the work.” And here’s the thing, you’d almost believe him, until you heard the record. The Cloud Hymn’s album is full of beautiful subtlety. It starts with the gentle strums on Nielsen’s acoustic guitar, continues outward along Brandt’s pedal steel and banjo playing, and reaches all the way up to Alyssa’s soft, pure vocals. These are all obvious strengths of the record, but where it’s really made is in the pure, ringing lyrics that Nielsen (now a law student) brands into every song. There is a strong vein of naturalism here, a real sense of justice. It’s something that Nielsen does without ever crossing the line into heavy-handedness. “It’s a pretty different headspace to be in when you’re playing in the band, as opposed to being in law school,” says Nielsen. “It’s just a different sort of creativity.” He laughs. “OK, it’s weird.” Songs like, To The Postmodern Man and Moon show Nielsen battling with doubt, both internally and externally, against the subdued sounds of a Nick Drake or Jose Gonzalez palate. It’s the musical equivalent of some strong and constant current raging underneath a frozen river, its churning depth lying just below the surface. The Cloud Hymn has many plans for the future, a summer tour, another record, but perhaps the best of all is simply put by Nielsen himself, “I just plan to write more songs.” It’s so simple and almost obvious that you forget about the man behind the music, and to his credit, that’s exactly the way Nielsen wants it.

    The Cloud Hymn + Wake Up Poland • April 4 • The Cabin, UW-Eau Claire • 8pm • FREE • 836-2970

     The Cloud Hymn + Meridene + Horse in the Sea + Louis and the Hunt • April 5 • Grand Little Theatre, 102 W. Grand Ave • 8pm • $5 • all ages