Folk music is rooted in tradition. The plucky guitars, the ramblin’ beats and the bluesy grooves all have a very distinct sound to create the signature aesthetic of the genre. Bill Godfrey, however, seeks to break down these barriers with his latest EP release, “Hypnotized.” Each track takes its traditional folk influence and pushes it with tons of musical motifs that bend the genre into something unique from the first track.
The title track, “Hypnotized,” starts things off with a bang. The busy pulls of the acoustic guitar strings create an anxious atmosphere which makes the first lyrics, “she’s a child of Satan,” chilling enough to shoot down your spine. The guitar rambles with a swagger that leans on the natural percussion of the instrument as Bill Godfrey effortlessly weaves it into his strumming. When the track hits its stride right before the first minute is over, it’s impossible to not groove to the deep, bouncy bass. The deep-reaching bassline gives the track a remarkable sense of depth. This is especially apparent during the chorus when the instrumentals swell, creating a welcome cinematic build up for the next phase of the track. Right when the next minute turns, the track blasts off into space with bright synths that lift off with the vocals. The dreaminess feels pillowy after the heavy bass, which feels perfect as the swelling instrumentals fade off into the serene sounds of the acoustic guitar. This dynamic progression is captivating and leaves the listener instantly hungry for more.
“Sprightly Gentleman” follows it up, but has a personality all its own. The bouncy guitars are a decidedly different aesthetic from the one before it. A deep bass playfully bounces alongside it, which will instantly get anyone listening to follow it. The show stealer of the track, however, is the absolutely groovy saxophone solo of Ray Zepeda around the 1:45 mark. While the musical aesthetic of the track is sunny and playful, lyrically it tells a very personal story of growing up as a child with a learning disability. Lines such as “the teacher called the doctor, the doctor gave me care. He said ‘help this child, he’s ill! He needs some pills to help him sit still in his chair’” and “but I can feel my brain changing and the guiltiness for making any thoughts of my own.” It’s a surprisingly intense track that keeps up the momentum set up by “Hypnotized,” even if it might catch you off guard on the first listen.
“Mama Help Me” is a stand-out track. The ramblin’ banjo being flanked by the mysterious, shifting synths instantly creates jarring tension. The shift of musical focus will leave the listener slightly disoriented until Bill Godfrey sings “mama, help me!” The bassline creeps in after a smooth synth transition, accompanying the bombastic background vocals. The hypnotic bassline goes on to be one of the most magnetic parts of the track that’s impossible to not groove to. It grooves into a face-melting guitar solo by Marshall Gallagher of the band Teenage Wrist that feels like the crash hit the bass and not the other way around, which changes the mood of the track when accompanied by the refrain of “maybe I’m not just paranoid.” It’s a very fast-moving track that begs you to listen to it over and over, as it’s absolutely stuffed with sonic surprises that love to reveal themselves during each new listen. This quality combined with the tense atmosphere it creates to compliment its lyrical integrity makes “Mama Help Me” an immersive listening experience.
The final track, “Patiently,” is a powerful listen. The smooth vocals of Bill Godfrey are just as inviting as the steady strums of the signature acoustic guitar, which juxtaposes well with the stormy sounds of the intro to welcome the listener in. When that deep bass hits and reaches deep down, the mood bounces alongside it as the percussion creeps in underneath it. While the sounds are sunny, the melancholy of the track will hit you instantly when he sings “since you left this world for good, it’ll never be the same,” moments before the upbeat track swells with a bright vocal chorus singing “one day, one way, or another… We’ll be together.” As the track goes on, the guitar plucks slowly overtake the deep bass sound on the back of the percussion. It allows the track to end with the signature solo guitar act, making this song of love and longing one that ends the EP on a tender note.
Bill Godfrey’s “Hypnotized” is an inspired and deep listen. The genre fusions rooted in the bluesy folk sounds of the guitar and banjo strings is a wonderful listening experience that shines throughout the EP, being especially impressive in “Mama Help Me.” Deep, groovy basslines that bounce throughout are equally as memorable, defining the personality of tracks such as “Sprightly Gentleman” and “Hypnotized.” It’s also an EP that’s full of heart and deeply personal, with tracks such as “Perfect Place” and “Patiently” being tender listens that are emotionally moving. Anyone looking for raw expression and pure emotion should give “Hypnotized” a listen, if not just to see how far folk music can go.
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