Puzzle Muteson - Swum

Puzzle Muteson’s songs are sensitive and thoughtful incarnations, a series of flowing fairy-tales narrated by a warbling tenor and enchanting, finger-plucked music which is as light and as fair as a maiden’s golden locks. ‘And they all lived happily ever after’ has been removed from the final chapter; this selection has tasted the sour reality of adulthood and the thorny world of relationships. Disney didn’t do the population any favours by painting relationships in pretty pinks and charming knights in shining armour. From the opening bars, Swum’s melodies spin in glistening, translucent webs of fingerstyle guitar. Terry Magson’s quivering voice, as well as his honest writing, lights up the music by sitting front and centre.
Magson hails from the Isle of Wight, home to the legendary music festival and a stunning panorama of altitude-sloped hills, sandy beaches, and restful glens. Folk music is tied to the isle, and Magson’s music has the feeling of folk; updated, fresh, and moving. The fingerpicked guitar supports an aching (and sometimes melancholic) set of vocals, providing a sharp contrast to the more upbeat and optimistic backdrop. Additional calming layers help to wash it all down, with every element combining to produce a startling, original album.
Thumper beats criss-cross against the guitar, stuttering as they go. This rhythm gifts more energy to the music, although it can bounce without a beat. These lyrics provide a shelter for the song, and after a serious drought, the vulnerable vocals are able to find some kind of eventual release; raining words of poetry and finding beauty even in the debris of brokenness.

Released on August 10, 2018