The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man. VanWyck

In the past circa two years I have raved about New Zealand's Reb Fountain on this blog, but in the meantime I have mostly overlooked a just as big talent in my home country. VanWyck is able to take on the world in the soft and dreampop genre with a hint of folk woven into the slow moving songs. The question whether there currently is someone active in this musical genre who is better than VanWyck, is justified to ask.

VanWyck came into my life with her previous, Covid album, 'God Is In The Detour'. An album I bought after hearing it once, but when all was said and done did not make a lasting impression. With The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man this is already totally different. The album keeps growing and growing, with new details hidden into the soft music coming forward with each listening session.

VanWyck is the Amsterdam based singer-songwriter Christine Oele. She is releasing songs since 2015, all as an independent artist. For The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man she is working with the Excelsior label, from Amsterdam as well.

The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man is a concept album about a man who finds himself washed upon an island, with no memories of his past. A story spread out over twelve songs. The music is warm, with often a hint of sadness for things lost. VanWyck does not shy away from having a string section in the songs, like in 'Lola With The Light Eyes'. The folk song with a voice and an acoustic guitar, gets a chamber pop quality because of the strings, that totally befits the song. They give it the feel it deserves, not creating an effect because the song needs one: voice and guitar would have sufficed.

The example just given, underscores the good taste in which this album was made. Beauty is the word here. Sometimes an influence comes to the surface, moving away at the right time. I'm thinking specifically of a Broeder Dieleman song from his latest album. Not once, but twice.

Promo photo Jitske Schols

What strikes me most on The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man is that the songs at its barest are totally convincing. Take 'My Baby Rides A Dark Horse'. A guitar, the voice and the vocal melody would have been enough to make the song a success. Enter the strings in the background, and a dark spark enters the song, showing that dark sparks can shine as well. Later on an electric guitar sends off the bright sparks as a contrast. Once again proving that just a few notes can tell a musical tale in capital letters. An epic tale of seemingly endless proportions, indeed evoking Bob Dylan's longest songs successfully.

The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man is an album that allows the listener to totally disappear into it. There's no other option but to succumb. To isolate yourself for the duration of the album. Except for 'Pond Floor Dwellers', that rocks in VanWyck style, the other songs would disappear into the thin air of inattention when, as a listener, you do not self-isolate for a while. Self-isolation may not sound so attractive these days, but to do so here, the rewards reap large, I promise you.

Wout de Natris

You can buy The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man on VanWyck's Bandcamp page:

https://vanwyck.bandcamp.com/