That Joe Payne - By Name. By Nature

That Joe Payne By Name. By Nature cover
That Joe Payne
By Name. By Nature
Independent Release
2020
8.5
I still remember the first time that I came across Joe Payne’s voice… it was on The Enid’s album “Invicta” and I was blown away straightaway! “What a voice and what a performance”, I thought! Several years have passed since then… Joe had been working as a solo musician and after quite some time he managed to release his debut solo album “By Name. By Nature”, under the moniker That Joe Payne.
 
As Joe told me (read here), this album is a bit “cathartic” as every song is very emotional and personal. After a few repeated listens and while paying attention to the lyrics, one can understand that this ain’t just a simple album… it does have a delicate feeling and a unique atmosphere that accompanies each track. Musically Joe blends classical music and symphonic rock, with pop elements. The album is quite diverse in every aspect and every song tells a different story.
 
There are times that Joe reminded me of Freddie Mercury and that’s not only due to the voice comparisons but his performances as well. Joe is an amazing singer, songwriter and performer. And I’m not only focusing on his impressive 5 octave range, as he’s a notable songwriter on top. Certainly I must refer to Max Read (The Enid) and the great job he did engineering, mixing and mastering the album. It’s a great benefit for Joe to have Max by his side offering his music knowledge in every part.
 
“By Name. By Nature” is a rather emotive, expressive and soulful album on the whole. Songs like “In My Head”, “What is the World Coming To”, “Love (not the Same)”, “I Need a Change” and “End of the Tunnel” will touch every music fan out there. Do not miss the chance to listen to one of the best voices of our time…