Tarq Bowen

Every now and again I come across a new artist that I become immediately obsessed with. It's not a very regular occurrence, but it's usually coupled with, firstly - confusion as to why they're usually not really popular, and secondly, a few doubts in my own music taste. But the latter only lasts for a few seconds, before I realise the rest of the world just doesn't have very good taste. 

For those I haven't just offended, you might like to keep reading if you fancy giving your ears a treat. I recently discovered Tarq Bowen on Soundcloud. Okay, by recently I mean a few hours ago - but I couldn't contain my excitement for any longer than that. 

His sound flirts with blues, folk, country, jazz, and a bit of rock. In other words, it's really quite unlike anything else. His voice is just beautiful - a pitch that greets the ears so easily, but still manages to make you close your eyes every now to take it in. At times it has a little bit of Jeff Buckley about it - check out Victim of the Times and Cold Town.

Tarq describes himself on his Twitter bio as: 'Bluesy Folk tinged with rock'N'balls. I'm the guy they say falls between the cracks due to my strange name'. His name could be Cheese McJellyballs for all I care. 

One thing that strikes me is how distinctive every one of his songs are. Some are slow-paced, some have a more upbeat rhythm, some feature a harmonica and a banjo..., but one consistency is his storytelling lyrics - there's no doubt that this man's talents generously extend to songwriting. I think Let Love In is my favourite - I've never heard anything quite like it. 

My research has told me that Bowen will be releasing an album in the near future. But there's very little else I know. I tried to find out a bit more about him, but Google wasn't exactly shoving results in my face. I hope he doesn't remain such a mystery for long.

Every song of Bowen's gets you immediately - I find myself unashamedly singing along to a song I'm hearing for the first time as if I've been listening to it for years.

I'm often disillusioned with the music of today. But discoveries like this really restore my faith. Check out his Soundcloud here. 

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"I wanted to be the biggest bee, but didn't wanna be the honey collector. Now I got no money, got no honey, and the flowers died around me. All I want is my own hive."