The title of John Smith’s fourth album, Headlong, conjures up images of an unstoppable journey at a rapid speed. In that vein, let’s cut straight to the chase and say that this is a stunning piece of work which will permanently reside on many people’s turntables and playlists. The result of a series of writing sessions while touring through North America, there has clearly been a seismic shift in Smith’s life following his marriage and the birth of his first child. The result is a series of deeply romantic, beautifully reflective folk songs that continue to reward and unfold with each listen.

Smith’s voice is the first thing that strikes you, with its smooth, gravelly tones lending a real warmth to his lyrics of love and romance. The production is subtle yet strong, allowing his soulful vocals to soar but adding texture where necessary. There is a lovely sparseness to some of the tracks, pulling you in and making the album sound as intimate as one of his live shows. Stand-out track ‘Far Too Good’ is a perfect example of the album as a whole, with his voice like granite dipped in caramel, accompanied simply by the most basic percussion and strings along with his exquisite and distinctive guitar style. He pulls every inch of emotion from the words, begging someone to: “have a little faith…you’re far too good for keeping down”. Following with ‘Coming Home’, co-written with Lisa Hannigan and Gabrielle Aplin while they lived together in Brighton, a gentle and stunning Americana-style track that feels as timeless as the very best folk songs. But it is perhaps ‘Joanna’ that reveals the most, a song that gives a sense of a life forever changed as Smith has “abandoned my quest for an early grave”. He had described previous album Great Lakes as being about heartaches and new beginnings, and this moves those stories into new territory by perfectly encapsulating a life on the road while yearning for the love and company of someone at home. Perhaps it is the more upbeat themes, but Headlong has a more immediate feel to it while losing none of the power and intricacy of his previous work.

The reflective nature of life on the road also comes across on tracks such as ‘Threshold’, where he sings of: “being so much older, but honey I’m doing fine”, painting a picture of a man completely at ease with where he is in life. Never tipping over into something overly sentimental, you instead bathe in the warm glow of a happy life. A test of how great a record this is, is how it can seem to bend to suit every listeners’ mood. Regardless of whether you feel sad, happy, chilled out or want something to tap your foot to, there is something for you on this album. There is not one single weak track in the entire piece of work, and it should be said that Sam Lakeman’s production is exemplary throughout. Dedicated to his old friend and folk legend John Renbourn, who passed away in 2015, this is a fitting tribute and a truly spellbinding body of work. In a year where folk music has already seen some stellar album releases, Headlong stands above them all.

Jamie MacMillan

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