Like many British folk players, the sea that surrounds this island home is found seeping into Justin Tracy’s music. Last year’s Five Fathoms was an introspective journey inspired by the storms and swells of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and now he finds himself contemplating his soul returning to the ancient waters of the titular ocean.
But the waters of his songs are often as metaphorical as they are literal, blending folkloric themes and timeless symbolism, metaphysical ideas, and philosophical takes on life and the human condition. His songs, perhaps, are the modern take on those primal campfire stories, tales that both entertained and enlightened, allegory and analogy, poem and pesher.
Here, we find that perfect balance of space and sophistication that marks the best folk music, reminiscent of icons such as John Martyn and Nick Drake as well as perhaps Laura Marling’s more traditional moments.
There is, of course, a need for genres to move with the times. Folk music has done this in recent years by getting more immersed in indie and pop sounds. Songs like “Atlantic” remind us that even as music moves forward, it doesn’t mean we should forget what these genres are built on. Justin Tracy is an artist who fully understands this need to remember the past whilst pursuing the future.
