The eagle eyed might have noticed Lyle de Vitry cropping up in the folk playlists the last few months, well the LP is finally upon us and I'm happy to report it's more than delivering on the singles' promise.
Hailing from Asheville and good musical stock, not only can the boy sing and pluck a mean guitar, he's also a violin and cello teacher, a light touch electronic dabbler and not adverse to taking a trip to the local forest with a recording device in the warmer months where he captures the sounds of the local landscape to add a bucolic dimension to his soft edged folk sound.
Refreshingly in this age of shouting and showing off, de Vitry is a calming voice of reason that would give even the most red faced intransigeants pause for thought; thoughtfully opining on the human condition, favouring whimsical, intricately woven tales full of heart, hope and wonder to showboating and sneering.
What really makes this album shine that bit brighter though is the way his gentle voice glides over the rich, impeccably mixed, gently undulating soundscapes; a magical place where guitar, strings, electronics, genres and field recordings melt into each other with genuine symbiosis; all elements set to soothe rather than strive, compliment rather than compete. Take a bow Ethan Jodziewicz.
Echoes of wide eyed 60s singer songwriters are around every corner, but Vitry eschews the acid-folk excess, preferring a microdosed and measured, blue rather than red-eyed approach. Perhaps you have to be part of the system to change it? If you need some easy going, thoughtful company this Sunday then Lyle will be your new best friend. The windows are currently open on this fine summer's day and he's on repeat at TSMM HQ.
Playlist Companion
Find de Vitry in the Slow Folk or Slow Indie-Folk Playlists. Slow Folk, available on various streaming services.
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