Puzzle Muteson is the alter ego of an enigmatic songwriter from the Isle of Wight, rendering his music in a tremulous tenor over a nely spun web of ngerpicked guitar. The southern English island provided unexpected shelter for the shuddering transformation into one-man band Puzzle Muteson; his grade-school music teacher was rst to recognise his unrivalled vibrato, and a little while later a parade of chance and coincidence led him to inhabit Puzzle Muteson and start shaping a body of songs.
Theatrics picks up where Puzzle Muteson’s debut, En Garde (2011, Bedroom Community), left o ; the eleven tracks telling an intriguing story with every minute that passes; his talent for heartwrenching melodies and melancholic lyrics shining through like never before.
Where En Garde introduced dream-like strings, Theatrics intertwines melody with mechanism; the album is as much a folk song fairytale as it is an exploration of electronic wonders.
Theatrics features a many musicians at the height of their craft, including labelmates Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurðsson, the latter of which co-produced the album with Boe Weaver.
“Comparable to soulful folk forefathers Ray Lamontagne and Damien Rice, Puzzle’s lyrics stem from a broken heart. Tranquil, hypnotic and melancholic, his sound leads the listener in closer, allowing an intimacy that feels safe and sweet.”
– i-D
“Immaculate” – Drowned in Sound
