Nightly Sea

Saline Grace
is the new project of Ricardo Hoffmann, who is known as the composer and poet of the German avant-garde band Nobility Of Salt. Supported by his long-term bass player and companion through life, Ines Pollok, the amazing multi-instrumentalist and singer presents his first solo album, called “Border Town Shades”.
Strongly influenced by the works of Dostoevsky, Kafka and Bukowski, Ricardo Hoffmann has written claustrophobicly profound songs about desperation and the blackest depths of misery, candle-lit rooms full of tragedies, forlorn sinners and deceptive roads which are surrounded by broken telegraph poles, low-hanging wires, sadness and peculiarly grown trees, leading into nowhere and failure. He also tells us about the human’s eternal yearning for deliverance and his hope for God’s doubtful mercy, presenting now with Saline Grace a 17-track-album of incredibly emotional depth.
On “Border Town Shades” his extraordinarily filigree guitar style has been woven into antiques such as piano, organ, banjo and marimba, building up together with Ines Pollok’s powerful bass, admonishing bells and stylishly played drums a remarkable mixture of Americana, psychedelic and folklore of old Eastern Europe which creates an oppressively sinister atmosphere.
Within the centre of this soundscape, in the tradition of Nick Cave, And Also The Trees, Woven Hand or Leonard Cohen stands ominously, full of urgency and often with amazing warmth the marvellously narrative voice of Ricardo Hoffmann, who, like creeping out of the human psyche’s repressed depths, sometimes supported by means of using choirs, knows to celebrate his fateful tales and philosophic poems.
Indeed, with “Border Town Shades” Saline Grace seems to roam a sinister valley on a rain soaked, covered wagon whose wheels pass through that muddy soil, where Nick Cave once laid down The Carny’s old nag named Sorrow.


"Border Town Shades" in the media:

„...a wonderfully dreamy, more minimalist jewel of profound melancholy.“
„...close to the grand master Nick Cave.“
„...it is the whole construct, that satisfies the ears in a sublime way.“
(Amboss/Andreas )

„...sombrely melancholic metropolis-blues.“
„...great art...“
„Beautiful album with much pathos and congenial atmosphere.“
(Back Again/Alexander Pohle)

“…deeply emotional arrangements…”
“…without doubt – sublime poetry.”
„...completely under the sign of Nick Cave or Woven Hand.“
„...diversified arranged and harmoniously captured.“
(Terrorverlag/Markus Söllner)

„The songs have a very strong force of attraction.“
„...a definite yes to solitude and the approval of melancholy."
(Elektrauma/Daniel Dressler)

„On...“Border Town Shades“ Saline Grace… behaves sinisterly…“
„All of the 17 tracks are dominated by R. Hoffmanns distinctive voice.“
„...a mix of a David Lynch-soundtrack and Nick Cave-mourning...“
„...gorgeous songs for the dark autumn days, open fire and red wine.“
(The Black Flame/Stefan Gaidetzka)