Manchester-based artist Ben Heyworth enamors with a magnetic folk sound on his Creatures EP, infusing melodic acoustics and organ-touched textures within poetic lyrical depictions of life, death, and the human experience itself. People, places, and events inspire the tales within — traversing from the Manchester waterways to road trips that blur the line of imagination and reality.
Opening track “Narrowboat” achieves an illuminated folk spirit alongside thematic ruminations on life and death. The “anchored down” comparisons between trekking on Manchester waterways, and the twists/turns of life itself, prove artful in addition to depictions of mortality: “they lay me to rest on the water.” The ensuing “Image of Roads” stirs in its “no turning back” vocal urgings and organ-laden warmness, chronicling a “journey of mine” that furthers poetic displays of one’s life journey — set on this track within an imagined American road trip.
“Creature Double Feature” closes the EP with satiating, emotive impact — exploring the concept of self, as one looks into the mirror. “Do you know where you are?” an introspective vocal asks amidst serene acoustic strums, asking thereafter “am I just a creature … waiting for the bells to ring?” as the radiant acoustics continue. Shades of The Housemartins and Aztec Camera show enjoyably in the melodic vocal tone and backing guitar atmospherics. Creatures is an enveloping listening experience across all three of its tracks.
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“Creature Double Feature” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Folk.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
