By Glen Parkes | Jace Media Music
Something very different for us to review today — and what a refreshing change it is. In a world obsessed with volume, spectacle, and instant gratification, Melanie Crew and Ross Palmer remind us that music doesn’t need to raise its voice to be powerful. Their upcoming album, Some Other Stories (out December 5th, 2025, via Gare Du Nord Records), is an understated triumph — a tender, thoughtful collection that speaks softly but lingers long after the final note fades.
The South London duo, both accomplished songwriters in their own right, have been quietly building a reputation for intimate, emotionally intelligent folk. Their earlier releases, 2020’s Away from the City EP and 2022’s debut album Quiet After Midnight, established a foundation of warmth and honesty. Some Other Stories builds upon that, taking the listener deeper into their shared world — one of reflection, connection, and the fragile beauty of human relationships.
Songs That Breathe and Belong to the Moment
This record captures a kind of musical conversation — not just between two partners, but between heart and head, past and present. Across twelve tracks (eleven originals and one traditional arrangement), Crew and Palmer explore what binds us together and what happens when those bonds begin to fray.
Opening with “Winning Ticket”, Palmer’s fingerpicked guitar and Crew’s gentle vocal harmonies set the tone—melodic storytelling wrapped in a warm, analogue glow. Their production, handled largely at home by Ross, invites listeners to lean in rather than stand back. Every breath, string scrape, and note feels intentional.
The follow-up, “Take a Picture”, written by Crew, adds a quiet melancholy. There’s a sense of capturing fleeting moments — the kind that memory never holds quite right, but music can. The duo’s harmonies float like dust motes in sunlight: fragile, fleeting, and achingly human.
By the time we reach “Close the Book” and “Blindly Through the World”, it’s clear we’re in the hands of songwriters who understand restraint. Their craft lies not in grand gestures, but in subtle shades — a lyrical turn here, a brush of violin or Hammond organ there.
Textures of Folk and Emotion
Drawing influence from Fairport Convention, Elliott Smith, and Nick Drake, the pair’s sound sits comfortably within the British folk lineage while feeling unmistakably contemporary. The decision to self-record much of the album lends it an honesty that suits their material perfectly.
What’s striking is how Crew and Palmer use silence as part of their storytelling. These are songs that breathe. Some Other Stories isn’t background music — it’s the kind that commands quiet. The intimacy is disarming, particularly on “Unspoken”, where every pause feels like a held breath between lovers.
Instrumentally, the album blossoms with subtle, beautiful details. Adam Beattie and Colin Somervell’s double bass lines add warmth and gravity. Basia Bartz’s violin and Ben Handysides’ cello weave emotional textures throughout, lifting songs like “Storm Rolling Through” and “Give a Little More” into cinematic territory without ever breaking their fragile spell. Nick Frater’s piano and Hammond organ bring a ghostly luminescence, anchoring the duo’s acoustic core.
The traditional ballad “Our Captain Cried All Hands”, arranged by Crew and Palmer, is the album’s emotional centrepiece. With backing vocals from Yo Zushi and Russell Parton, it feels timeless — an echo of the folk tradition that birthed them, delivered with modern clarity and reverence.
Themes That Resonate
Lyrically, Some Other Stories delves into connection and disconnection — the threads that tie us to others, and what happens when they begin to fray. Crew’s songwriting carries a gentle optimism, looking back with tenderness and forward with caution. Palmer’s songs, meanwhile, carry a quiet introspection, full of late-night reflection and softly spoken truths.
As the duo put it, these songs “look at the past with a kind eye and to the future with cautious optimism.” There’s comfort in that sentiment — a reassurance that even in heartbreak or uncertainty, beauty persists.
Quiet Confidence, Lasting Impact
What makes Some Other Stories so special is its emotional clarity. There’s no artifice, no overproduction, no attempt to compete with the noise of the world. Instead, Crew and Palmer offer something far more daring: sincerity.
The album was lovingly mastered by Dave Milligan, and the final result is exquisite in its simplicity — a rich tapestry of emotion woven with care. Each note feels hand-stitched, each lyric lived-in.
BBC Radio 6’s Tom Robinson called their music “beautifully deep”, while others have praised their “fingerpicking perfection” and “captivating” performances. It’s easy to see why. These are songs that understand their own space — humble, heartfelt, and quietly monumental.
In Some Other Stories, Melanie Crew and Ross Palmer have created a record that asks you to slow down, to really listen, and to feel. It’s an album of delicate craftsmanship and immense emotional honesty — proof that sometimes the softest voices leave the loudest impressions.
In a world of noise, this is music that whispers — and somehow, those whispers echo longest.
⭐
Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer – Some Other Stories releases December 5th, 2025, via Gare Du Nord Records. Sit back, exhale, and let it find you.
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