After the band’s live launch in June of last year and a trio of singles, Dorset Rock band “Wytch” are finally about to reveal their new Self-Titled debut album. The four piece band have been holed up at Oak Studios in the heart of the Dorset Countryside near Lytchett Matravers, cultivating 10 brand new original songs.
The band comprising of Jordan Watts on Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars; Chris Davies on Vocals, Keys, Guitars, Ray Holford on Bass and Simon Edwards on Drums. The band create an eclectic mix that aims to showcase the breadth of their taste and writing ability, from sultry ballads to gritty driving soft Rock. There’s elements of the 70’s ‘So-Cal’ sound galore but entwined into a new unique sound that can only be described as the sound of Wytch. The album was engineered by Danielle Stamp and produced mostly by Jordan Watts, with each band member pitching in every now and then with directional thoughts and section ideas.
The album sessions were a week where the band were staying on location in Lytchett Matravers at the studio in cabins and working all day, they managed to choose January during the middle of very adverse weather to do this. Running underneath and around the studio is an overflow stream and on one particular day, it started to rain torrentially to the point where the river banks broke and the entire field where they were became engulfed with a torrent of fast running water. Thankfully the studio itself is on stilts, because had it not been I’m not sure this album or the studio would have survived.
The album features ten tracks and each track is part of a journey of new found creativity, it’s full of obvious influences and plenty of less so obvious influences. It’s the sound initially of four musicians all on point, joining together, each bringing their own unique skills for one creative goal. The album opens with “I Won’t Forget” and immediately we are into a burst of an infectious instrumental, before we are introduced to the vocal, something that is to become a focus throughout the album. The Americana-tinged sound features, with its driving pace, sound breaks and impressive guitar solo, along with dual harmonies. Jordan’s Stevie Nicks-style vocal opens the next track which has a distinct Country flavour to it, featuring a unique guitar sound, along with some constant backbeat rhythms and echoes of The Allman Brothers.
“Believe in Magic” is about as close to Fleetwood Mac as you can get without actually being Fleetwood Mac! The track feels like it is a successor to “Little Lies”, the divinely delivered vocal is clearly once more the focus, wonderfully backed with some quiet special musical arrangements that just meander beautifully. “Just Hold Me” is an enchanting piece with some bewitchingly descriptive vocals that echo the wonderous feelings of love and longing.
“The Archer” takes us further back in time and has a medieval feel to it, it’s a Folk song with a difference. The composition has a majestic feel to it; this number features some really beautiful vocals with Jordan and Chris combining with an elevated effect, it almost feels like it is a love theme for Maid Marian and Robin Hood, certainly one of the highlights of the album.
“Suncatcher” is also a gem of a track and the band have certainly pushed the envelope with their creativity; it reminds me a lot of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”, clearly the band and their primary members are a huge influence. Once again the band bring some impressive instrumentation, along with some expressly pleasing guitar work. Jordan explains: “Suncatcher is probably one of the most all encompassing Wytch–sounding songs we’ve recorded. Its got my soft brooding vocals with some thick chorus harmonies; Fender Rhodes electric piano parts, a really plucky resonator guitar, some fantastic drum work from Simon using Rock’s most hated instrument (the cowbell), gorgeous strong basslines from Ray and it sort of builds and builds until the big guitar solo at the end!
Track 7 is “Fools”, Jordan explains “this song holds a very special place in both mine and Chris Davies heart. The subject matter came from some personal experiences Chris was going through at the time, and one night after a 9 hour recording day, Chris and I stayed up with a bottle of whiskey and he played me the initial idea for the song and I loved it. We had some back and forth where together we wrote the chorus and came up with the harmonies, and we were enjoying ourselves so much that we stayed up until 5am to finish the song (and we were due back in the studio at 9am). To us it’s a testament to the magic of two people and a couple of acoustic guitars”. The song has a real cowboy camp fire feel to it, it reminds me a little of Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” and just listen how the two vocals entwine perfectly together.
“Silent Ruin” is another acoustic guitar-based tender ballad that again shows the beautiful power of two and how something quite simple can come together so brilliantly. Just imagine the band sat around on cushions in an ‘MTV Unplugged’ style, delivering this tune that just sounds musically angelic.
The penultimate track of this collection is “Sky Blue Eyes”, this conjurers up a deserted American highway, blue skies, windows down, the wind in your hair and the radio on. This songs spot on instrumentation slowly barrels its way into your head with the Country fuelled guitars and Jordan’s oh so unique ever changing vocal that just seems to find the right pitch, whatever song he is singing.
The final track of this collection “It’s Not Love”, Jordan wrote this piece in his Mum’s house very late at night in the bathroom as the acoustics were famously better than anywhere else. Jordan wanted to utilise his gifted vocals with some higher notes and through pushing himself, he was surprised with what he was capable of. That night in the bathroom a eureka moment brought us this track that is most essentially a Rock tune, where Wytch found their own quite unique sound and a perfect tune to end this collection with.
There’s certainly not many acts out there that can boast at having a debut album as great as this. What has been delivered are ten tracks with so much to enjoy, let’s hope this is just the start of a journey down a long road for this talented quartet.
Track Listing
I Won’t Forget
Drive
Believe in Magic
Just Hold Me
The Archer
Suncatcher
Fools
Silent Ruin
Sky Blue Eyes
It’s Not Love
Recorded at Oak Studios owned by Hawkeye Houlihan
Musicians
Jordan Watts (Vocals, Keys, Guitars)
Chris Davies (Vocals, Keys, Guitars)
Ray Holford (Bass)
Simon Edwards (Drums)
Links
https://linktr.ee/WytchOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/p/Wytch-100094292731472
Article By David Chinery
