Welsh singer-songwriter Tom Emlyn releases the much-anticipated new album Rehearsal For The Rain: Scaredycat, Vol.2. A hypnotic blend of psychedelia, Americana and rock all encased in a invitingly 70s-rock feel, amplified by it’s lo-fi production, the ten track release highlights not only Tom Emlyn’s prolific output but also his ability for authentic, enjoyable and always interesting songwriting.
Following on from the May 2023 release of Return Journey Revisited: Scaredycat, Vol.1, Volume 2 see’s Emlyn capture more of his raw and experimental approach to songwriting, this time building fuller, more intricate soundscapes compared to the primarily acoustic first volume. Drawing from years of musical fragments, revisiting and reworking older pieces to create something entirely new, the album captures an essence of creative unrest, of melodies and feelings that Alwyn has to get out. This sense of creative yearning makes an album which captures a sense of purpose and urgency which carries it through.
From the prog influenced, swirling synths and biting fuzz guitars of ‘Fire on Fairwood Common’ which adds flute for a jazz influenced twist, to the 70s tinged, almost Led Zepplin-esque Americana rock of ‘Kafka’, to the understated intimacy of ‘It Came Back To Me’, and ‘Double Crossed’, the tracks manage to cover a full width of genres and influences whilst retaining an accessibility and crucially, a coherence as an album.
Dreamy, lo-fi soundscapes and richly layered instrumentation, the album spans from alternative-folk to lo-fi psychedelic pop, making for a varied and musically rich journey. Available digitally and on cassette, Rehearsal For The Rain: Scaredycat, Vol.2 is accompanied by a short story titled “Phosphorescence” which can be found online here.
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