Although the name Will Verley does not drip with instant fame associations, it might be a good idea to familiarise yourself with his work.  The sophomore album ‘As The Crow Flies’ lies  somewhere in between the mindless manufactured pop and deep, poetic folk. Featuring farcical stories about self-checkout machines as well as poignant tales about resurrections it is honest and authentic  – a treat when it comes to modern music.

Despite staying out of the music business rumpus, Will still managed to build a consistent and loyal fan base to follow him around various festivals he has played. And although initially it feels like it’s just  restless jerky tinkering, the album settles nicely into a mature, dolorous sound with several jaunty tunes in the way.

The story has it that he’s walked a hundred and forty miles with a guitar and a tent on his back playing to whoever would listen in 2011. Some of them must have clearly been intrigued enough to Google his name and so his self-directed music video for ‘King For A King’ has scored a rather appreciable number of 20 000 views on YouTube.

‘As The Crow Flies’ is an album you are very likely to come back to rather than just a seasonal fling.  It already sounds perfect for those long and dark autumn evenings ahead of us. Out on 2 September, it is released by Smugglers Records. So make sure you give it a try or at least remember the name to dig it out once the summer hits get bored.

 

 

W| By Kate Appelt