Whitley

Album: Go Forth, Find Mammoth
Label: Universal
Website: www.getmusic.com

Whitely goes forth

A baby-face like that which belongs to Lawrence Greenwood (Whitley) surely isn’t capable of delivering music so deeply detailed by themes of existentialism, is it? Surely that implies an aged, musician created it.  Managing to turn the archetypal ‘soul’ musician mould on its head and replace it with his own self there is a rare maturity demonstrated to this man’s music.

His second album Go Forth, Find Mammoth lives as testament to understanding why Whitley looks set to endure as a successful artist even perhaps beyond his years.
 
Emotive lyricism applied to beautifully crafted instrumentation is probably what achieves this mantle for him. He’s blessed with an uncanny ability to write poetic, esoteric song lyrics and shape these around a musicality that only the most seasoned musicians manage to achieve. 
 
'Head First Down' is the single being played non-stop on radio and aptly it sets the tone for an album which poignantly delves into the notion of life – we’re born and then we die. Through the collection of songs on this album Whitley dares to ponder the aspects in between the life cycle, those which enrich our souls and contribute to our personal tapestries.
 
Whitley illustrates his ideas around this perplexing paradigm via a lovely meandering album which ebbs and flows much like life itself tends to. Tied together in the album notes as dedicated to Jonathon Livingstone Seagull, a philosopher of great influence it appears to Lawrence’s ability as a songwriter.
 
Adding to the richness of this album are those whose help he’s enlisted. Band-mates and friends Washington, lend their services on tracks including the blissful female overtones of Megan Washington - on Killer. Even nature itself gave a helping hand, with ‘The piece you took from me’ enhanced by the real rolling thunder clouds of a storm going on overhead.  
 
If possible Whitley is already a master at his craft his latest album demonstrating he’s not only evolving in sound but his ability to write breathtaking songs is astounding.

Ruth Bailey