Martin Reynolds – I’ll Crawl (2022)
There are a lot of problems in the world and we can often feel overwhelmed and powerless. If this is how you feel, Martin Reynolds has the single that could help you sort through your emotions and move forward with a positive attitude. ‘I’ll Crawl’ not only looks at moving forward, but calls for us to all be part of the solution rather than the problem, while asking which side of history we would really like to be on.
Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and a lot of Bob Dylan music, the single draws on the protests that have been taking place across the world and views on current events. Playing all the instruments himself, Reynolds infuses something purely him into the music while looking at topics that are much bigger than individuals. The former drummer of the duo You Dirty Blue, he uses the skills he has honed to create refreshing and uplifting music that blurs the boundaries of genre.
‘I’ll Crawl’ strums into your ears with a folky acoustic guitar line that takes your mind back to the heyday of the genre. The toe-tapping flow of the acoustic guitar is addictive and sweeps you into the movement without any effort. It is a stripped back melody, but it is unbelievably effective in getting you hooked to the single. The strummed guitar line is met by a plucked line creating depth to the sound without losing any of its addictive quality. In fact, this layering of the guitar lines makes the melody even more infectious as it drives you down the soundscape.
It is not only the melody that harks back to the heyday of folk as Reynolds’ vocals carry the power of folk legends. His lyrics are hard-hitting and really make you think about what he is saying without being too pushy. He turns your attention to the problems in the world and how we can all make it better. The chorus asks a very important question about which side of history you want to be on, before leading you to a sense of conviction. While the guitars layer, Reynolds’ vocals follow suit to get you bopping to the movement of his performance.
Martin Reynolds gets you thinking about the problems in the world and what you can do to help in the stunning folk tones of ‘I’ll Crawl’. The melody uses layered acoustic guitar lines perfectly to sweep you into the movement of the music. His vocals are easy to listen to while drawing you into the hard-hitting lyrics that really leave you thinking about where you stand on important issues.
Find out more about Martin Reynolds on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
