Folk music, by and large, falls into two extremes. In one camp, you find artists trying to move their genre along, aiming to keep it relevant to the times, mixing and matching folk sonics with indie energies or rock weight, pop gloss, or ambient soundscaping, in an attempt to try and catch the ear of a new audience. In the other, artists look to the past, offer up traditionalist music, play by the rules, do things the way they have always been done, the sort of music beloved of folky gatekeepers, commonly found sporting Arran sweaters, a pipe and beard and clutching an original copy of Liege & Lief and often going by the name of Brian.
The great thing about “Every Story Ever Told,” the latest single from The Trudy is that it seems to have a foot in both camps and a few others besides. There is enough of a familiar sound found here, the strummed acoustics, the crystalline voice, the lyrics, and the deftness and delicacy of the delivery to keep the traditionalists happy….even Brian! But it is the way that the song slowly builds from these folky comfort zones into more lush, anthemic climes via dream pop vibes and psychedelic sonics, shimmering electric guitars and widescreen cinematic appeal, and an excellent blend of melody and muscle, grace and grandeur, that show just how forward-thinking they are. This is folk music looking to help write the genres next chapter.
“Every Story Ever Told” is taken from their new EP Outside Time and, on the strength of this one taste alone, depending on when it drops, it will either be a late but serious contender of the end-of-year lists or the first portent of 2024 being a cracking year for music.
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