Matt Townsend The Drifter and the Dream (Part I) Review by Gary Hill
I like folk music. This EP really fits the bill for me exceptionally well. I'm a big fan of Arlo Guthrie, and all of this except the closing song really makes me think of him. There is a good range here, and a nice variety in terms of lyrical content, too. All in all, this feels like it could have come out in the 70s. That's a good thing.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
The Great American Madness
This is very much a folk protest song. It feels like something that could have been created in the 1960s or 1970s. It's an exceptional tune that makes me think of Arlo Guthrie a lot.
Came Down From the Mountain This cut starts in the same kind of folk music vein. It works out to more rocking territory, though. This number really rises and grows and soars. I'd actually consider this one to be from the folk prog school of music. I love the violin on the tune. The whole thing is just magic.
Roaming Twilight Coming closer to the modern school of roots driven rock music, this is another powerful cut. It's a bit subtler than the last piece. It builds nicely, though. It really becomes quite a poignant piece.
Freedom is Calling Again
Another political protest song, the first part of this calls to mind Bob Dylan very heavily. As it gets more energy and instrumentation, it comes more in line with the rest of the set, calling to mind Arlo Guthrie. This is another extremely powerful piece of music. It's very much a folk rock tune.
Katie Harmonica solos over acoustic guitar as this starts in a Dylan-esque way. This one stays reasonably close to its origins. It's the only cut here that doesn't resolve into something that makes me think of Arlo Guthrie. Instead, it remains very much in Bob Dylan like territory. That's not a bad thing.
