London born, now Auckland based folkie Tom Cunliffe released his second album ‘Template For Love’ in April 2018.
Following on from his 2016 debut ‘Howl And Whisper’ in which comparisons were made to Bob Dylan and The Water Boys, his latest album consists of eleven tracks of beautifully-crafted folk songs, produced by The Sound Room‘s Ben Edwards and multi-instrumentalist Dave Khan, both of whom are renowned for their work with musicians such as Marlon Williams and Tami Neilson.
Heartfelt and elegant are two of many descriptive words which have been used to describe Tom’s ‘Template For Love’ – his captivating and sassy collection of tunes shows that he has a knack for storytelling and verse.
These are poignant songs which ebb and flow between Irish folk music and indie pop. Captivating stories of life, a contrast of light with the almost cynical. The album is a far cry from raucous pub music; however, a tinge of The Pogues can be heard on certain tracks alongside a “classic ‘Kiwi’ sound”.
A notable team of supporting musicians are featured on this album, such as Reb Fountain, Ben Woolley, Dan Luscombe and Gus Agars.
Original and charismatic, this is an album which is a shining example of interesting songwriting mixed with wonderful instrumental and musical accompaniment.
