Martyn Joseph “Troubled Horses”

The horses may be troubled, but Joseph remains steadfast as he wrestles with time, tenderness and truth.

This is Martyn Joseph’s 28th studio album. Just let that number sink in for a moment. That is a very wide body of work. Joseph is perhaps best known for his blend of protest folk, and, although he may have toned down the political ire on this collection of songs, it is still present. The emphasis on this album, though, seems to be resilience, redemption, compassion, and the wrestling with the effects of time.

Despite Joseph having a deeper, richer and more powerful voice, comparisons with early Bob Dylan are perhaps obvious. Here is a man with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica as accompaniment. This arrangement, paradoxically, is both the charm and the limitation of the album. Opening track, ‘Let Me Hear Your Voice’, follows this familiar format. The song deals with isolation, longing and suffering. It is almost a prayer for connection and a yearning for reassurance, love and the strength to keep going. Joseph feels trapped – “can’t get no release” – and seeks salvation – “Throw down a ladder so I can climb up there to the higher ground.”

Next up is ‘My Song And My Psalm’, which is a reflection on songwriting itself, and a hope to find something spiritual in it. Joseph sings, “I’m not looking for a song to outlast me…I’m looking for a song that illuminates now”, suggesting a quest for authenticity. A sense of quest is taken into ‘Eternal Wandering’, this time as a journey through uncertainty. And the line “maybe doubt is just belief that’s been set free” is a remarkable encapsulation of the paradox of faith.

The album’s title track is also one of its most powerful and most political. ‘Troubled Horses’ mourns a world where innocence turns into conflict, urging compassion and remembrance of our common origins. The recurring refrain “once children, now an uproar, the violence of the lambs” is both tragic and haunting. And there is a searing critique of nationalism – “There’s no country to ‘want back’ if we’ve all come from elsewhere.” A sense of political disillusionment also exists in ‘Last Night I Heard America’, which is a lament for a lost ideal of America. But again, hope, a desire for change and reconciliation is injected – “Come back now to each other, a new Independence Day”.

The two songs that follow feel both autobiographical and introspective, providing a reflection on self-doubt and ageing. ‘I Wonder I Do’ considers youthful dreams, missteps and resilience. The phrase “I wonder, I wonder I do” carries both self-doubt and curiosity and “It’s easier to stumble than to walk the narrow line” is filled with a sense of regret. ‘Getting Older’ feels honest and tender. Ageing is accepted with grace, and there’s an awareness of generational responsibility – “the mess we’re passing on”. The tone is melancholic yet ultimately thankful.

The final two songs on the album, ‘In a World That Breaks Your Heart’ and ‘Let’s Take Care of Us’, address the despair in the world but then show how love can be a refuge. The former feels like a cry of pain, “Gotta find him some hope, but God knows how”. The latter shows how simple, bonded relationships can offer hope – “Let’s take care of us, babe, in the storms and charades”.

Taken together, the songs on “Troubled Horses” form a cycle of compassion and endurance – from despair to hope, from individual struggle to universal empathy. They explore what it means to remain tender and truthful in “a world that breaks your heart.” Joseph does, though, also find the strength to offer some hope.