·February 21, 2025·3 min read

‘Settle Down! Live at the Hotel Cafe’ by Mike Stocksdale is a Live Folk Album that Promises Lightning in a Bottle (Out 13th March)

‘Settle Down! Live at the Hotel Cafe’ by Mike Stocksdale is a live folk album that captures a mood and vibe that feels once in a lifetime. The acoustic guitar and harmonica-led tracks are supplemented by little interludes that contextualise the track they precede and capture light, fleeting banter. This helping the experience feel rooted, grounding that head-y, almost magical feeling of bright, live energy.

There are 15 tracks on the album, with a few spoken interludes to spice up the album while helping this curated experience feel a bit more lived in.

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‘Settle Down! Live at the Hotel Cafe’: Highlights & Moments that Stick

‘Settle Down! Live at the Hotel Cafe’ can only be described as a goose-bump raising experience that is immediately immersive and puts the listener at this sense of ease. You immediately get the sense that our singer is seeking out connection, easing us (and his live audience) into this frank, bright and unique atmosphere slow-like.

After a short introduction we’re pulled in by the sprawling opener ‘Who Am I’. Here, we’re introduced to the singer’s tight lyricism that aims to connect with that audience sitting right in front of him. It really sets the tone for the album while helping the audience and listener fully immerse themselves into this intimate, almost vulnerable experience.

The eighth track on ‘Settle Down!’, ‘Andersonville’ holds deep space in the singer’s mind. Its a lonely, bittersweet reminisce that reflects on how our relationship with a place changes as time passes. This while also highlighting the songwriter’s deep introspections borne out of simple, familiar observation.

‘Settle Down! Live at the Hotel Cafe’: ‘Time Goes By, So’

‘Time Goes By, So’ is another highlight off of the album that reflects on the fleeting nature of time. Sometimes slow, most times racing past. Its main guitar melody captures the track’s fleeting melancholy. The singer laments, “…It hurt to recognise that all things remain in the past…”.

The final track that I would like to highlight on ‘Settle Down!’ brings in this sense of a new beginning. Its soundscape is bright and optimistic while the lyrics remind us that new begins It feels so different from the rest of the album but also feels like the perfect finish.

‘Settle Down! Live at the Hotel Cafe’ by Mike Stocksdale feels like a journey/experience that is unique yet expansive. The album offers us (the listener) this seat in the front row, taking in every cadence, nuance and witty remark.

“….Welcome to the journey…

….I will try not to waste it all…”.

I hope that I’ve been able to sell you on this experience without giving too much away. The album is out on Bandcamp and will be out on other streaming platforms by the 13th of March.

The Artist

Mike Stocksdale has a gift for weaving guitar melodies with profound lyrics in ways that touch the soul. His lyrics possess this uncanny ability to distill complex emotions into relatable verses, using his words to paint vivid pictures.