A Stunning Introduction To Matt Townsend

The only way out is up.

To dream of freedom is to cleanse our minds of negative thoughts and vicissitudes of life. To achieve it is to break the chains of confined comfort and venture to lands far away, mostly accessible by travelling to the sky and escaping planet Earth.

Every day isn't ridden with turmoil, but when we sink to low emotional points, we look for answers and remedies to our pain. Why not board a private shuttle and explore an expanding universe?

"The Drifter and the Dream (Part I)," the first part of indie folk artist Matt Townsend's EP released Dec. 2, 2016, shows maturity, elegance and inquisitiveness. Deviating from Matt's solo acoustic style of his two previous albums, this EP presents a more expansive sound.

As if a wandering musician is whittling his guitar strings in front of a lonely railway track, the first single "The Great American Madness" is a diorama of this person staring at a hill that almost touches the sky. The song itself sounds extraterrestrial, complete with unearthly acoustics akin to "Ground Control To Major Tom." A strong start to an impeccable EP.

You're standing next to a vehicle with its door open, with your luggage in tow.

"I have absolutely no idea," is what you tell the driver when he asks your destination.

"Freedom Is Calling Again" breaks down the wall of restrictions placed on us, of which we're the prisoner and warden. This track's instrumental periods tell a more powerful story than words ever could. We're only bound by the rules of adult life because we say so; we hold the keys to a less hectic existence.

To untangle ourselves from the real world is no easy feat, but "The Drifter And The Dream's" folk rock vibe helps us to succeed in doing so.

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