Artist: Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World
Album: Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World
Genre: Folk, Acoustic, Indie

Matt Townsend and his extensive backing band have burst onto the folk scene with an impressive 9-track debut that spans 46 minutes of a dozen instruments and various voices coming together to create one helluva good time.

The album gets off to a commanding start with “Seventh Story,” backed by an impressive array of instrumentation that forms a solid folky foundation for Townsend’s lyrical stories to build upon. It takes but 20 seconds before we’re greeted with Townsend’s distinctive vocals which you can easily liken to that of Kristian Matsson (The Tallest Man On Earth) or even Dylan in style and tone—I’d even consider him a male counterpart to the Söderberg sisters of First Aid Kit. That’s completely okay, though. Townsend’s not trying to hide his influences or deny the fact that these acts have helped shape his sound. If anything, he’s paying tribute to the voices of these luminaries from vastly different generations that have inspired countless others.

“A lot of these songs were like lifelines to me. They were redeemers. When I wrote them and sang them they gave me a reason to keep going. They felt like gifts from somewhere I can’t see.”

The above statement was something Townsend told me recently in an interview, and it really stuck with me. I mean, that pretty much sums up any passionate creative person’s art for the most part and the kind of effect it should have on that creator. That notion is something that oozes from every track on this debut. As the album explores the very relatable themes of life, love, and all the ups and downs that come with those two enigmatic forces–and much like the works of Dylan and other timeless artists from earlier eras of folk and rock–Townsend’s fervor for his craft is clear and the outstanding instrumentation only adds depth and liveliness to his “redeemers.”

Whether you’re looking for something slower, more dramatic, and seemingly melancholic (“Wind Without The Rain”) or a more upbeat and uplifting effort (“Hollow City Streets”), Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World traverse that scope from one end to the other with ease. Everything I love about the folk genre is here and while Townsend’s voice can surely be considered an acquired taste, I personally took to it without qualm. If you’re a fan of any of the aforementioned acts, I’d imagine that you’d do the same. Regardless of that fact, though, Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World deserve notice and this debut should set them off on the right path to find it.

SCORE: 8.5/10
Review written by Brian Lion — (Follow him on Twitter)

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Brian Leak

Editor-In-Chief. King of forgetting drinks in the freezer. Pop culture pack rat. X-Phile. LOST apologist.

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