Liam Wakefield – “Thirteen Gardens” culminates in a gorgeous patchwork!
Solo artist Liam Wakefield is a serving British Soldier and Folk/Americana songwriter. Liam has played a number of venues and festivals, and is set to play the O2 Academy Islington, in November. “Thirteen Gardens” is his debut single, with a sophomore track to follow shortly. I can already imagine that Wakefield will become an underrated artist. Pure, simple, great music. Not watered down with commercialized yuck and filth that is so popular today. Just straight up great music.
From the opening bars you become totally aware that there is a real man writing and playing this song, as you listen to it. This means, that for me, the innate humanity that threads through this song is not so much showy as intensely personal. Which of course is a sentiment that harkens back to the great singer-songwriters of our time. A man, a voice, and his guitar. That’s really all you need to make an intelligent and captivating song.
To be fair though, “Thirteen Gardens” is music more than that, embellished with percussion and other instrumentation for a fully fleshed out listening experience. The album has an expansive sound which is guaranteed to be met by Liam Wakefield’s audiences with an on the edge of your seat excitement.
The song sounds inspiring, uplifting even, Liam’s voice is mellifluous but brittle, and yet affectionate, this is the prefect introduction to the artist. The music possesses the immediacy that one might not expect from an artist on his debut. The production is driven and bubbly; the core acoustic guitar riff, a fluttery, enrapturing thing; and the chorus, a hummable and instantly irresistible tune.
When broken down individually into its essential components, “Thirteen Gardens” sounds like it could be a basic track in a dozen different situations, but something about Liam Wakefield as an artist makes it possible for him to take the ordinary and, through detailed and somewhat smart songwriting, elevates it to something truly great.
Though at once catchy, Liam’s music rewards patience. Listen after listen, this track expands with newfound depth. Wakefield does this by adopting a kind of precision-driven songwriting, a sort of deceptive minimalism. Even as this song builds to a multilayered chorus, there’s never a shred of excess.
Every harmony or instrument incorporated here, has a clear and specific purpose, and on several moments throughout, “Thirteen Gardens” culminates in a gorgeous patchwork of vocals, with a catchy pop-like cadence. Deceptively crafted in such a way that it feels as though it’s bouncing back and forth between your ears.
A chiming song that has a toe-tapping beat propelling its guitars and Liam Wakefield’s resonant vocals. It’s actually an unexpectedly and assuredly powerful number in the way it demands to be heard. With lyrics soaked in nostalgic imagery, and a voice that grips at every turn, “Thirteen Gardens” will undoubtedly win over new fans for the UK based singer-songwriter.
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