Marty Thompson, songwriter and producer with a strong flair of Americana and storytelling, has finished preparing his newest full-length album “Spoon River Anthology”. It’s a concept album breathing new life into the legendary Spoon River Anthology, a collection of free-verse epitaphs written by Edgar Lee Masters. To give the first taste of what will be an Americana album recorded fully in analog gear, Thompson releases the first single “The Unknown”.
stream “SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY” NOW!
Inspired by the similarly titled epitaph, the single follows a story that runs through life and beyond death. It carries a heavy weight of sorrow and runs on an air of hope, as marked by the wailing electric guitar and slow yet steady beat. “The Unknown” is the epitome of carrying your guilt into the grave and seeking for forgiveness in the afterlife.
The story is told from the viewpoint of a person, buried a long time ago and nameless for he lacks a tombstone. What he doesn’t lack is guilt from what he did as a reckless youth. Thompson’s voice brings forth all the heavy emotions that came from that thoughtless act of a brute, and how in the afterlife the man keeps searching for the soul he trapped so meaninglessly for life. The unknown man shot a hawk as a teen, breaking its wing, and the bird refused food and remained angry for the rest of its life in a cage.
Often the heavy realizations of what was done come after the act has already been committed. For this man, the act became his cage, as he now wanders in his ghostly state, looking for forgiveness and friendship despite the all-too-real fact it will never come. Yet the desperation poorly masked as hope remains and keeps him going.
“The Unknown” is effectively a warning tale of what can happen when you do something thoughtless. It’s also a ghost singing straight to you through Marty Thompson’s voice. He’s not begging, he’s here to simply state what has been done and what he will be doing for the rest of eons to come.
“We tracked it live in a wood cabin studio with vintage pre-amps and tube ribbon mics to capture the unvarnished warmth of Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot.”
Marty Thompson
stream “The Unknown” now and the album “Spoon River Anthology” today!
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You can find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Chill – Folk – Acoustic, Unknown but Essentials!, and Autumn Acoustic.
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