This Bristol-based singer/songwriter previously traded under the name Joyce the Librarian and the library seems a particularly appropriate location for his quiet, literary folk songs.
Callingham says that putting out a debut record under his own name "feels like coming out" yet his perspective remains very introspective.
The track Knots alludes to "a crushing calm", which seems like an accurate summary of the album's content.
The tunes are described as being "acutely melodic and affectingly personal" and with a sound dominated by acoustic guitar, lush strings and half-whispered vocals, few would argue with this.
|
The delicate pastoral mood, with a couple of instrumental interludes, is fragile to the point of being overly precious. And with a total playing time of just 27 minutes it is over before establishing any defining statement.
Tides Return, the closing track, suggests the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean but a few rough waves wouldn't have gone amiss.
Martin Callingham's website
|
