Oaken Lee – A Mountain (An Echo) (2025)
Describing his music as “traditional folk storytelling painted with a progressive palette…”, singer-songwriter Oaken Lee offers an eclectic take on retro indie-folk and folk-rock with modern-day edginess. With several projects behind him, the UK-based artist isn’t necessarily new to the music scene; however, Oaken Lee is not something brimming with elegance and maturity. Starting from the beginning, there is a naïve youthfulness in Oaken Lee, bridging the line between sophisticated experience and joyful ignorance. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘A Mountain (An Echo)’.
Following his well-received single, ‘Where Now?’, ‘A Mountain (An Echo)’ shifts from a retro folk-rock tone to something simpler, less complex, and gentle with its folk-inspired indie style. Once again dragging us to the folk world of yesteryear, there is a lilt toward the 90s in the nostalgic melody. A bit of an odd comparison, but ‘A Mountain (An Echo)’ brings memories of Johnny Clegg to my mind.
Self-recorded and produced, the single brims with DIY sparseness, simplicity, and weighty intimacy. Combining bold percussion with toe-tapping guitar, drums, and off-kilter vocals, ‘A Mountain (An Echo)’ is raw and vulnerable, but also confident and bold – all balanced in an exceptional rush of soothing music. One element that is particularly intriguing about the track is its use of field recordings from a forest in Sardinia, a meadow in Shropshire, and a local park in Tottenham: obscure and obtuse, but still a delightful addition to the track.
Melodically, ‘A Mountain (An Echo)’ can get your body swaying and have you singing along to its infectious lyrics – it is this gentle ensnaring of our senses that enhances the track’s theme. Oaken Lee explains:
“I wanted to create a sound you might imagine stumbling across by going off the beaten track on a road trip; an ad hoc band illuminated by the flicker of old home videos playing somewhere outside the frame. A song about time – for lost friends and faded memories. That moment when you think you see someone from your past, only to realise it isn’t, in couldn’t be… could it?”
Find out more about Oaken Lee on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more indie-folk music on The Other Side Reviews Indie Folk playlist:
