Tom Hartman weathered the ‘Storm’ to bring us a lethally divine folk fable of unravelling

Tom Hartman called folk fans to port with Storm, a dark-folk triumph of atmospheric tumult that feels as though it has been dragged out of the sea with its omen still breathing. The independent folk and blues artist from Dordrecht, the Netherlands, wrote the single during one of the most difficult periods of his life, when hallucinations distorted his grip on reality and fear took on the shape of something ancient and lethally divine. Instrumentally, there is an instant cinematic pull. Storm carries lore in its bones, rivalling the heavy weather of the Vikings OST as Hartman sets non-lexical tribal vocals against the aura of a pensive troubadour holding the truth and weight of hardship through vivid narration. The rolling Celtic rhythm gives the song its sea-bound force, while hints of Americana pull through the folk strings, bridging centuries and borders. As a one-man-band performer, Hartman has built his sound through guitar, harmonica, stomp-box and improvisational live energy, and that physicality sits inside Storm. You can hear why comparisons to Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, The Waterboys and 16 Horsepower follow him around; the song has narrative gravity, weather-beaten theatre converging into a magnetism that is as primal as it is […] The post Tom Hartman weathered the ‘Storm’ to bring us a lethally divine folk fable of unravelling appeared first on A&R Factory.