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Review: 'PLANTMAN'
'To The Lighthouse'   

-  Label: 'Arlen'
-  Genre: 'Folk' -  Release Date: '29th July 2016'-  Catalogue No: 'ARLEN008'

Our Rating:
Plantman is no superhero but it's the kind of name that conjures up images of all things organic and a oneness with the earth.   

The singer-songwriter's true name is Matthew Randall and in the space reserved for his description on his Facebook page he writes enigmatically "sudden storms are normal". He keeps a low profile preferring the sweet artwork of Amy Adele Seymour to selfies.

The Plantman alias fits well with these quiet, delicate songs in which he keeps a close watch on the seasons and weather conditions. This is consistent with the focus of his previous two releases: Closer To The Snow (2010) and Whispering Trees (2013).

The fifteen tunes rarely exceed three minutes yet the intimate charm of his vocals means they still have a restful, unhurried quality.

The reflective mood is maintained even when the arrangements are slightly more expansive as with songs like Slow Design and Frost Fayre, both of which feature electric guitar and synths.

Tracks like these are balanced by shorter compositions with lyrics like haikus. In Folk Eye Turning he sings "I like the freeness of water, the way it runs where it oughta".

These are not confessional songs but they still feel very personal through the manner in which they seem to be forever seeking out places of retreat to allow time for quiet reflection. You'll find him habitually strolling down a Wandering Lane or contemplating the Island Charm.

For Honeydew there are additional vocals from Chantal Acda but otherwise this is the meditative vision of one man who is fortunate, and enlightened enough to have time to "watch the spider spin his web".

The album's title is the same as Virginia Woolf's classic novel although there's no obvious literary link aside from the fact that Randall is plainly a singer who chooses his words carefully and proudly displays his romantic temperament.

All in all, it's a record to swoon over.

Plantman online
  author: Martin Raybould

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PLANTMAN - To The Lighthouse