Album review: WARD KNUTUR TOWNES – Unanswered

October 5th, 2023 by jason

Betty Beetroot Records [Release date 06.10.23]

Ward Knutur Townes found their sound when the world fell silent in 2020. These three singer-songwriters, (Lucy Ward, Svavar Knutur and Adyn Townes) were selected to take part in a virtual global music sharing experiment called Global Music Match. Teamed up together, they spent several lockdowns turning their stories into soft harmonies and intricate melodies. Then this year they recorded their debut album in Iceland.

Lucy Ward, from Derbyshire, is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner. Iceland’s Svavar Knutur is a modern day troubadour. He is also he recipient of the Anna Pálína Árnadóttir memorial award for folk music excellence in Iceland. Adyn Townes hails from New Brunswick, Canada and is an award-winning alternative folk artist – five times international Songwriting Competition finalist.

Listening to the opening song ‘Astronaut’ you know you are in for a treat, as Lucy and Adyn’s vocals meld wonderfully together. Transcending above the folk label, this song, and indeed many on the album, would still well on a chill playlist or on TikTok. Let’s face it, in the current musical world an artist needs to embrace the streaming generation.

Svavar takes his turn at the mic with Lucy again complementing his vocals on ‘Paper Plane’. Truly a wonderous melody on the ears with the violin of Sarah Matthews adding that extra musical sparkle.

To be fair the whole album contains musical treats, for example take the wonderfully serene ‘Seasons’, on which Adyn’s gentle vocals send a shiver down the listener’s spine. The lyric is based on imagining Johnny Cash singing to his second wife & true love, June Carter, who after 35 years of marriage died within a few months of each other in 2003. Svavar steals the show on ‘Isn’t It Funny’ as his vocal remains with the listener long after the final note has been played. ‘Medusa’, ‘Everything’…not a duff song on the album.

Thank goodness fate brought these three talented musicians together as they have produced a debut album that has a real ‘wow’ factor. Beautifully sung and produced, this album will stand the test of time. ****1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

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