The new album from Bristol-based folk artist Martin Callingham, Patterns is an alluring success that follows up 2015 EP Tonight We All Swim Free. An enchanting, chamber-folk sound emanates throughout, ranging from the harmonious vocal intertwining on the opening “Ninetree Hill” to the folk expanse within “Treehouse.” Adding to the album, each track is accompanied by an illustration from the artist Lyndsie Barnard, beautiful in their interpretations of the audible worlds within.
The album boasts a number of highlights. Flickering guitars and a haunting organ undercurrent compel on “Bedding In,” which also features immersive backing vocal additions prior to the emergence of trickling guitar momentum. “A Toe on the Water” also impresses in its cohesive development from quaint acoustics into a chirpy, triumphant guitar emphasis. And certainly, “Treehouse” stirs with its chamber-folk qualities, injecting warming brass within the acoustics and pleasant vocals for a spellbinding sound. Patters is a thoroughly consuming album from Martin Callingham.
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“Treehouse” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
