Throughout their new self-titled album, indie-folk group Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World use their expansive sound to touch on inspirations like “strange dreams and visions, the precarious beauty of human life, and the mysterious forces of the Universe.” While some of that may sound vague, the powerful nature of their tunes is not. From opening track “Seventh Story”, the band’s charismatic personality is apparent. That’s probably why the new album was successfully crowd-funded by a contingent of loyal fans; it’s not everyday that easily accessible folk music is churned out by eight talented musicians clearly on the same page.
“Seventh Story” is the opening track on Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World’s self-titled release, and it’s a great way to kick things off. Joyous acoustic flutters, twangy pedal steel, and nostalgic harmonica accompaniments complement Townsend’s sonorous vocals, which provide glimpses of sunshine shining and rising along the free. The folk-y sound with a touch of pop reminds me of Irish group HAL and tracks like “Worry About the Wind“. Townsend has a similar vocal delivery, with a capacity for smoothly integrated hooks. I’m looking forward to hearing what they come out with next.
Stream Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World’s self-titled album below:
