Isle of Wight singer/songwriter Paul Armfield is back – new album Between The Covers combines his love of both music and literature in one handy volume

Release Date:  16th May 2025

Label: Self Release

Format: CD / Vinyl / Digital

A LOVE OF LITERATURE

Whenever Isle of Wight-based composer, singer and musician Paul Armfield settles down to write songs, it seems that he has a theme in mind.  For his 2023 album, Domestic, Paul explored the concept of ‘home’ and, more recently, his 2024 EP, Trees, comprised a suite of songs about the five trees on Sibden Hill in Shanklin.  Now, for Between the Covers, his latest offering, Paul uses nine songs – five originals and four covers –  to express his love for literature.

Paul’s love of books is deep-rooted.  When he isn’t composing or performing music, he’s the manager of the  Medina Book Store in Cowes.  When he sat down in early 2024 to start writing songs for his new album, the first pair of songs to emerge both covered the subject of books.  That wasn’t deliberate, but Paul nevertheless went with the flow and three more songs on the same subject followed.  “It was surprisingly cathartic,” he says.  “Having spent nearly 30 years balancing a career in bookselling with a double life in music, it felt like my two worlds were being reconciled.”

ACCOMPLISHED BAND

For Between the Covers, Paul is joined by a small team of accomplished jazz-leaning musicians – Max Braun (also the album’s Producer) on bass, acoustic guitar and organ, Uwe Schenk on piano and album, Torsten Krill on drums and percussion and Jo Ambros on guitar and organ, with Mari Persen adding a special richness to the sound with her violins and string arrangements.

CONCEPTS THAT RESONATE

Between the Covers gets off to a flying start with a lively version of Willie Dixon’s You Can’t Judge a Book By Its Cover.  Producer Braun has captured an authentic echo-laden 50s sound and it’s clear from the outset that the guys in this ensemble are absolutely comfortable in each other’s presence.  Paul’s opening lines to the excellent the Books Beside My Bed: “Here stands a tower of Babel/ Where once there was a bedside table/ Each book a good intention/ The bricks of self-invention” will surely resonate with anyone who takes comfort from the presence of books.  The tune has an easy-going country feel and Paul’s voice is warm and reassuring.

Paul recalls his early encounters with literature with the gentle Bookmarks and I particularly love his references to the art in the Ladybird series of children’s books and to Rupert the bear, two aspects of literature that captured my imagination when I was beginning my own lifelong love affair with the printed page.

END OF SIDE 1…

Mari’s lush strings combine wonderfully with Uwe’s soothing piano for the rich, smooth, Paperback.  Paul’s lyrics reflect his sadness that life stories told in popular biographies such as David Niven’s The Moon’s a Balloon often end up in bargain bins or a car boot sales as they are read, discarded and forgotten.  And I love the song’s punchline: “What a waste of good paper!”

Side 1 of the vinyl version of the album is closed by a soft, respectful, acoustic version of Elvis Costello’s Every Day I Write the Book.  Paul picks his acoustic guitar and Torsten’s drums are deliciously restrained.  And, from Elvis Costello we plunge into even more dangerous waters as Paul tackles the Hüsker Dü song, Books About UFOs.  Late drummer Grant Hart’s story of a girl obsessed by thoughts of outer space is accompanied by suitably spacy sounds and Jo’s nicely fuzzed-up electric guitar, whilst Paul delivers the lyrics in half-sung, half-spoken tones.

A JAZZY FEEL – AND A SOFT LANDING

The sci-fi vibe is retained for the jazzy Turn the Page, probably my favourite track on the album.  The mood is slow and contemplative as Paul uses lines like: “Eyes that bagatelle and slalom, from top down to the bottom…” to describe the unconscious movement of eyes, heads and hands as readers work their way through their books.

And we stick with the jazzy feel for My Bookworm, another excellent song that, this time focusses upon a developing romantic relationship between a pair of book-lovers.  Uwe’s piano, Jo’s guitar and Torsten’s soft drums provide the gentle accompaniment as Paul’s lyrics cascade mightily forth.

And, to close – what better than a dreamy, tender version of Rogers & Hart’s I Could Write a Book, perhaps that most famous ‘book song’ of them all?  Paul’s vocals are wonderfully restrained and Uwe’s piano and Jo’s guitar are both used in the most subtly sparing way possible.  It’s a wholly appropriate final statement to a lovingly compiled collection of songs.

PAUL ARMFIELD – THE SONGS FOR BIBLIOPHILES TOUR

And, if you find the idea of an evening contemplating the joys of literature appealing, you might be interested to know that Paul Armfield is currently playing an 18-date Songs for Bibliophiles Tour.  Details are available here.

Watch the official video to Paperback – a song from the album – below:

Paul Armfield online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / X (formerly Twitter) / YouTube / Bandcamp

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube