The keen reader might recall reading about English troubadour Andy Smythe rather recently; writing about ‘Out of My Mind’, we proudly described it as “delivering enchanting lyricism over dreamy and relatable sonic energy”. We stand by our words – Smythe seems to have found a winning formula, one fully rooted in tradition with an inspiring, soothing livery. ‘Leaves to Burn’ fits that very same idea, offering a slice of Beat and Britpop with a decisively retro component.
The record is even more impressive when you consider that a healthy amount of instrumentation has been performed and recorded by Andy himself; and that’s next to his nuanced songwriting, quite classical and melodious, a good pairing for his evocative and dynamic vocals. As you might expect, McCartney is plenty cited as the main reference.
Lyrically, we are in nostalgic territories, with Smythe recalling his time working on a farm in England. The encounter with the farming community unveiled a harsh, rough world made up for hard work in terrible conditions, something that is often forgotten by the wider population.
Recommended! Discover ‘Leaves to Burn’ on Spotify (and check out the wider album ‘Poetry in Exile’):
