It’s Wednesday, and there’s no better time for a little optimism and gentle folk tunes than the midweek. In fact I’d say every day of the week is a good time for gentle caressing vibes – you never know when you end up needing it! So, in the liquid time, I’m glad to introduce a fresh artist and his single, which will surely remind all will be right.
Today’s artist is Martin Reynolds, a Birmingham-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and a familiar face from behind the drums in You Dirty Blue, a Tamworth hard rock band. As the pandemic started gripping everything, Reynolds decided it’s time to start his solo career. Writing an own blend of emotionally loaded indie folk with inspirations from the classics – the Beatles, Neil Young, the Zombies, the Rolling Stones among others, Martin Reynold’s music serves as a gateway to hope:
“For anyone that hasn’t heard my music before I’d best describe it as bittersweet songs of hope and optimism, with a heartfelt combination of sixties power pop, and unflinchingly sincere lyrics.”
The artist has released his debut album in June and it’s a collection of beautiful airy songs, of which there are 10. Each of these songs run themes of deeply visceral type – emotions boiling deep within, life events leaving a deep mark on the artist, thoughts about life in general. All of those moods are turned into tales and spoken about in the softest and gentlest fashion by the artist. Together with the earthly sounds of acoustic guitar melodies sometimes followed by the harmonica, and hearty percussion, the album invites for a long afternoon with “Repeat Album” feature seeked out and enabled.
Last song of the album is today’s song – “The Sky Ain’t the Limit“. Known as a phrase to hype up optimism in a hesitant person, the song title already gives a hint of the song’s mood, but it doesn’t prepare for the sudden burst of sheer optimism coming in from the first beat of the song. Beginning with no hesitation whatsoever, the song sparks with positively charged guitar chords (hear those high notes!). As the song evolves, little celestial notes join the festive soundscape, forming what’s almost like a divine choir in the background. Layers of celebrating vocals follow, chanting “Just the beginning!” and running along with the harmonica and guitar strumming. And then at the height of the song, things take a turn and all that’s left is the singer and his guitar, a little visual of a man hoping for better times to come soon.
“The Sky Ain’t The Limit was the first song that was written for ‘Where There’s Hope’. I first demoed it at home on my phone just before lockdown was announced, and although I was really happy with the sound of it, I felt I could take it further sonically if I were to record it with some better equipment, and in the studio environment. So the night lockdown was announced, I borrowed my band mates mixing desk and a couple of mics, knowing I’d have some time on my hands, and as soon as the first set of restrictions were lifted, I went and recorded it at my sanctuary (the now defunct) Silky Studios, Tamworth.
The song itself is quite a personal one, it’s ultimately about me going through a difficult time in my life, I had a series of events, one after the other, in a short space of time, that left me in a bad place. I had to do something I’d never done before, and seek help elsewhere… It’s about having to take that leap of faith, even if you’re afraid to, it’s about seeing the other side and coming back stronger from it. It’s about acknowledging the past, but looking to the future. Which is why it made perfect sense to be the last track on the record.”
It’s a small anthem of hope that really fits as the ending of the album, but it works just as well as a song-on-repeat – a boost of optimism for when you need it, and a little festival of hope in the otherwise uncertain times!
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook,Twitter, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also check out his official website. If you enjoy his music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
You can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Chill – Folk – Acoustic, and 12 New Songs This Week.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here!!!
This coverage was created via MusoSoup #Sustainablecurator