New album from Marty Van Wells

Hailing from the English countryside, Marty Van Wells is a singer-songwriter who’s built his musical world around the simple combination of a guitar, a voice and the vibrations that exist between memory and the present moment. Based in folk stylings with occasional blues inflections, his music carries a subtle intensity, finding meaning in love, hate and the everyday landscapes that surround us. There’s nostalgia stitched throughout his musical fabric, with Marty using looking back as a way of looking in, looking out and, ultimately, looking forward.

His relationship with music began in his late teens, when he started learning on an old salvaged nylon-string guitar and secondhand steel-string followed, although that instrument eventually found a new home. The story of those guitars says something about Marty’s approach, there’s a sense of rescue, preserve and finding value in things that might otherwise be discarded. He’s spent time saving guitars from landfills, all while searching for the musical companion he would eventually find himself unable to part with.

After a decade of developing his own sonic vision, Marty has now tethered himself fully to a unique process. The formula is stripped down almost to its bones; one guitar, a fresh set of strings, a room, imperfect equipment, intimate recordings and an unrelenting desire to capture feelings that words alone cannot quite express. The imperfections are very much part of the character of the music, allowing each recording to retain a sense of personal artistic expression.

His songs are designed to feel like stepping into a living folk tale, where the lines between recollection and observation begin to melt. Influenced by figures including Dylan, Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Rodriguez and Guthrie, he draws from a background of songwriting where the voice and the story are allowed to remain at the centre. Unveiling his original sound at the end of last year with the debut single “This Side Of Christmas,” returning this year to expand his catalogue with a string os singles and a trio of albums.

His latest album titled Songs To Send takes his exploration somewhere slightly different and while the directness of guitar and voice remains fundamental to his sound, this time the mood leans into something more upbeat. Opening with “Sunset,” the laid back strums of guitar and soft percussion pulse underpin his mellow vocal delivery as he crafts a breezy indie folk song that flows with elegant melodies and tender performance, offering a truly charming musical experience that’s memorable and buoyant from start to finish.

“Tomorrow” glides with lively acoustic chords and bass notes as warm vocals flutter above the engaging rhythmic sway, presenting a delightful jam of smooth melodies and heartfelt lyricism. Songs like “As & When” slow things down to craft a stunning display of his stripped back sound while “Songbirds” pairs delicate acoustic backing and dreamy songwriting, peppered with intricate guitar notes and graceful flutters of harmonica.

With “About,” the soft bounce of tapped percussive energy and gentle chords are capped by soothing vocals carrying picture painting lyrics as flickers of guitar leads add melodic flourishes to the arrangement and overlapping vocal layers expand the song’s sound in the closing moments. “Paved In Gold” delivers a joyous folk pop outing brimming with intimate vocals and colourful harmonica touches, delivers a superb showcase of Marty’s alluring performance flair.

“Promenade” delivers a downtempo moment of transportive lyrics and inviting folk atmosphere while “Unknown Again” offers another moving listening experience of beautiful singer-songwriter music. Closing the album with “And I’ll,” airy guitar notes and gentle chords form a enticing musical scene as Marty’s voice floats above to present a stellar finale to his exceptional new album of timeless indie folk music.

Listen to Songs To Send below