ALBUM REVIEW: Calum Ingram – ‘The Man’

Ever since he first arrived, emerging artist and electric-cello player Calum Ingram has always had a strong fascination for the classics. Owing his sound to the distinctive guitar work of his heroes John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, John Martyn, Mark Knopfler and Peter Gabriel, his tenure to date has been a wildly enjoyable one as he looks to blend these retro flavours with a more contemporary vibe. And after some solid support for his recent run of comeback singles, he now delivers his long-awaited debut album ‘The Man’, a record that broadens those musical horizons he has been working on.

While he wears his influences very much on his sleeve throughout this new release, Calum Ingram is also managing to create a brilliantly diverse direction here. With notable nods to some classic disco beats, funk-flowing aesthetics, and swaggering soul layered throughout, ‘The Man’ makes for a truly unpredictable listen. But while the flow of his newest collection is extremely varied, he is still able to package it into one coherent and succinct listening experience.

It seems that his affinity for those classic vibes has met his fun-loving approach to songwriting in a vibrant display of toe-tapping grooves here. ‘The Man’ may have arrived after a string of trials and adventurous ideas, but its result is one that truly breaks the mould and sets Calum Ingram up as one of the more innovative names on the rise right now.