Stephen Fretwell
“From the tiniest relationship detail to our greater place in the cosmos, the singer asks life’s big and small questions with grace and grandeur.” MOJO – 4 stars **** 2021 has been…
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“From the tiniest relationship detail to our greater place in the cosmos, the singer asks life’s big and small questions with grace and grandeur.” MOJO – 4 stars ****
2021 has been a hugely successful year for Stephen Fretwell. Rave reviews greeted his comeback album Busy Guy upon its July release and more accolades have followed with Guy Garvey selecting it as his Album of the Year on 6 Music and the LP featuring in MOJO’s AOTY list. Having recently performed a sold-out UK tour Fretwell announces news of further tour dates in UK & Ireland for February and March 2022, culminating in his London date at Grand Junction.
Support from Later Youth
Presented by SJM.
Fretwell has a knack for turning mundane, everyday tales into delicate ballads. The sardonically titled Busy Guy is a beautifully stripped-down acoustic record that recaptures what made him special in the first place, now with added mid-life poignancy.
The Guardian
To little more than acoustic guitar and subtle shading, Fretwell’s serpentine, heart-tugging melodies and richly detailed, Leonard Cohen-esque lyrics draw you deep into a world of transience, loss and stubborn optimism.
Sunday Times
Magnificent… Fretwell has turned quotidian drama into hypnotic beauty.
Record Collector – 4 stars ****
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Further acclaim for Busy Guy:
“A touching and intimate series of songs… Using mostly acoustic guitar and some keyboard, Fretwell delivers a series of poignant vignettes. Several are rooted in London geography,
including two of the highlights – the exceptional ‘Embankment’ and the gorgeously meandering, flamenco-infused ‘Almond’.” Uncut – 8/10
“A mesmerising record… Busy Guy stands at roughly equidistant tangents to Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen – imagine the fragile sensitivity of the former applied to the sombre sparseness
and poetic precision of the latter – and the calibre of the songwriting here justifies such benchmarks.” Metro – 4 stars ****
“The understated approach allows him to tackle life’s big issues with sublime melody and thoughtful expression… One of the year’s most rewarding comebacks.” The Sun – 4.5/5
“A dazzling display of technical and emotional virtuosity, ‘Busy Guy’ is an incredible experience, a work of true intimacy from a songwriter whose return is long overdue. Magical.” Clash – 9/10
“Embankment and Oval conjure images of lonely streets and detachment, isolation and love… Underpinning it all is Fretwell’s smoky voice and Dan Carey’s subtle production – glorious.”
HiFi Choice – 4 stars ****
“Fretwell draws the listener into these enigmatic tales, with their dreamlike, cinematic flow.” HiFi News – 8/10
“Makes for a fascinating listen as you try to get inside these often-complex song stories.” Rock’n’Reel – 4 stars ****
“Fretwell’s voice sounds more evocative, rich and expressive than it ever has done before.” Louder Than War
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