A master-class in delicacy for the attentive folk fan...
Following on from his first seven-inch release, 'Ivy and Dennis', singer songwriter John Stammers returns with another offering of his 'environmentally constructed twisted folk music'. A firm believer in the importance of a songwriter's surroundings, Stammers draws his inspiration from his grandfather's Scottish airs and reels, as well as his own experience of farm life in Canada, to create his own delicate and graceful folk style.
Much of the warmth apparent in the three tracks found on (the perhaps ironically titled) 'The Fridge' is due to Stammers' careful attention to the recording process, selecting and adapting rooms in his house and even a small church to fit his needs and create the perfect sounds for each of the songs. Supposedly 'a metaphoric story about family life and death that goes to show that those who seem to have everything aren't always the richest', 'The Fridge' begins with the first of three pretty, picked acoustic guitar intros. A positively sparkling folky guitar sound, with the occasional off-key country twang ripples around you before simple yet deeply atmospheric strings creep in to give the track its sense of mournful longing. Finally, the emotive lyrics are spoken softly over the music, almost as if mumbling to himself – a feature of Stammers' sound that is even more apparent in 'Lonely Bird', in which the vocals become so tentative and far-away you find yourself constantly reaching for the volume button and craning your neck closer to the speakers until the track is drawn to its end by a delicate instrumental of gentle brass and cascading woodwind. Finally, 'My Reply' brings the single to a close with more of that undulating guitar, alongside Stammers' perfectly haphazard layering of sounds and rhythms that make the song a perfect soundtrack to a lazy summer's day.
An organic-sounding master-class in delicacy, John Stammers' gentle approach to music will most definitely appeal to folk and acoustic fans, but it is certainly the more conscientious and attentive listener that will get the most out of this single.