Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
How we view the world once we find a way to come out the double-barrelled shotgun effect of climate change and the global pandemic that has robbed people of their time together in the last couple of years, is not only important, but it will define how we move forward as a species, how we move on collectively, and for all the time that has been sacrificed, it is to the memories of the cherished people in our lives that will spur us on to make the right decisions.
No one has been immune from all of this, we all have stories to impart that will explain how we dealt with the unimaginable situations, of how we perhaps changed in the face of adversity, how we grew, perhaps even of those intimate and fragile things we once took for granted, not only memories, but of love that was forgotten by those who meant the world to us; however, what we must maintain is the story, the right to impart of sadness and greatest joy in whatever form it must take.
It is the sense of maturity, coupled with the beauty to be found in the child’s eyes we once maintained, that sees us reflect on our life from the time we were born until the present day, and for the magic of music that Martyn Joseph has brought to fore in his long, industrious, and compelling career, the celebration of how his own birth year, 1960, and all that came after, has shaped him, it is no wonder that his latest release perhaps hits home harder than anything he has produced before.
As he says candidly, the album is born out of shadows, perhaps not physical ones, but the emotional ties, the realisation of the fleeting glimpses we are privy to when the light is momentarily restored, when the flickers of life are returned with love and affection. It is no wonder that the album strikes home, that it punches with a deftness that catches the listener unawares, makes them feel the pain, the pleasure, the connection of the recollection, and in tracks such as Felt So Much, Down To The Well, Under Every Smile, Shadow Boxing, This Light Is Ours, what 1960 achieves is greater than anything the listener could ask for, because it touches the very essence of the conundrum of age, loss, and humanity.
A vital and honest album, Martyn Jospeh is not one to shy away from the big questions, and in 1960 he once more proves how insightful and passionate he is about how the truth is sacrosanct and positive.
Martyn Joseph releases 1960 on November 19th via Pipe Records.
Ian D. Hall