A calming, reflective folk sound enamors throughout “Standstill-Sol Invictus,” a lovely new track from Dean Carter, an artist based in Glastonbury, England. The instrumental sound spans from quaint acoustics to multi-layered ardency, building enjoyably across 9+ minutes of blissful guitar work and ample melodic heart.
“Standstill-Sol Invictus” comes via Carter’s fourth full-length, Wheel of the Year, which pays tribute to each festival or “station” of the pagan calendar. The ablum’s opening track, “Standstill-Sol Invictus” represents the rebirth of light and hope following a long night; it translates from Latin to “Unconquered Sun.”
Comforting guitar tones move from a gentle lushness into more vibrant expressions past the one-minute mark, as twangy layers reflect charmingly into the following sequence. A mixture of twangy suaveness and acoustic undercurrents make for a jovial entrancement by the track’s third minute, thereafter carrying into a beautiful second half that continues the intermingling, textured instrumental folk appeal.
Carter’s own life and career have experienced setbacks and ensuing triumphs; he was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and that led to an ability to perform and listen to music. He took to sound healing practices and his ability to work with music regained as well. A fantastic comeback ensued, and Wheel of the Year is certainly evident of that.
Stream Wheel of the Year below:
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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Folk. Stream the playlist below:
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
