It’s been put forth that the mark of a good song is one that you can strum on an acoustic guitar. It’s a song that feels familiar structurally, and checks off the boxes harmonically; one you can sing in the shower and might find yourself whistling at the grocery store.
Of course, we don’t need to tell Adyn Townes what a good song is. He’s a five-time International Songwriting Competition finalist, an ECMA nominee, and the winner of Music New Brunswick’s SOCAN song of the year award.
Now, he has set out to show us all why. His full-length album, In Frames, comes with much anticipation. With recognition comes responsibility, and Townes rises admirably to the challenge.
On the surface, you’d be inclined to think that Adyn Townes might just be the most unlucky guy to ever fall in love. If you transpose this record into the first person, you’re going to need an umbrella for the walk he is about to take you on. It’s a sad, dark, and desolate place. Lost love, regret, and heartache are the key players, and one could be forgiven for wanting to stop and pick up a sympathy card along the way.
Thankfully, as the title In Frames suggests, these are snapshots. it’s not all on Townes’ shoulders. He’s not the saddest guy you know. Not even close; but he may be one of the most observant.
“We often only see glimpses into other people’s lives through the windows we pass on the street and it was these stories that inspired In Frames,” says Townes. “I think before the pandemic, no one saw themselves in these moments—but from first loves to forever loves, our stories are more similar than they are different.”
There’s a real knack to being able to tell these stories; to take a snippet from someone’s life and make it into a vignette is a talent that few possess. If you can make that play out on an acoustic guitar, well, mister, now you’ve got something.
Adyn Townes does just this. He takes us on 12 separate journeys; weaving his way in and out of the traffic of heartbreak, bobbing and ducking the landmines of new love, lost love, first loves, last loves…In this harsh landscape, it is good to have a guide to walk beside us, and Townes is up to the task.
His alt-pop sensibilities are on high alert on this album. The songs, although quite relatable around the campfire, get the full treatment here. This is a record that lives well in your Coldplay/Alvvays/Death Cab For Cutie playlist. It’s brooding and melancholy, yet there’s an element of hope as well. For all the ditches that love can drag you through, Townes is still walking beside you, picking you up and dusting you off.
The opening track, “Kids” introduces us to Townes’ unique voice—if it even still needs introducing at all. It’s a voice that seems hesitant, and greets the listener as if it’s not sure it’ll be understood; a voice that is weighing the other side in every situation, and its frailty is the perfect vehicle to deliver these songs.
There’s a dreamlike quality to this album and “Kids” does a great job of getting that established. It’s got a loopy, repetitive, clean tone guitar swirling throughout, and it adds to the ‘half asleep, half awake’ feel of the song.
Tracks like, “Better” and “Back From This” follow suit. They seem to come from a place of loneliness both lyrically and sonically. Again, Townes’ voice, halting and unsure, delivers these snapshots precisely. There’s a real strength in the weakness with which he sings. It’s not a weakness in accuracy or projection. It’s not a slight at all, but rather a way to describe the character of his voice and the way it aligns with the themes on this record.
As if on cue Townes, perhaps sensing our sadness, hits us with “Cannonball,” the lyrical content of which isn’t much more chipper, but its groove could fit into any stadium in the world. The music moves and changes in a clever way, and gives us a chance to tap our feet and clap our hands. It’s catchy and anthemic and is a burning bright spot on the album.
The second-to-last cut on the album is a song called “Scars.” Here we get a glimpse of Townes’ more modern production leanings as he hits us with a catchy pop song that could nestle its way into the charts if he’s not careful.
It’s easy to see why Adyn Townes is winning songwriting awards. His sound has mass appeal, and although you can hear where some of the ideas came from it manages to sound fresh. The lyrics are clever, and the music is hip. Adyn Townes has turned himself out a winner with In Frames.