S.T. Manville - “How To Belong”

S. T. Manville is a singer-songwriter that I happened to find while browsing through the “Fans also like” section of another artist’s Spotify profile. When I clicked on his latest release, “How To Belong,” I was greeted with just enough of an Elliott Smith vibe that I had to offer him a feature. And Elliott Smith fans are probably going to listen to this and call me a liar, but I felt what I felt and if the doubled vocals do not convince you, the emotion in the hook just might: “Everything’s changed, but I still feel the same… I can’t escape where I’m from… Searching again, but the fact still remains… I don’t know how to belong…” This song is dark, moody, and unhurried– and you will likely immediately add it to the playlist you listen to when your world is falling apart.

Manville also has a 2021 EP, How To Belong, that is quite spectacular. Although it shares the same name as his most recent single, they are otherwise seemingly unrelated. The first track, “Four Walls,” is just a tad more upbeat, but still falls into that wondrous indie folk/ emotionally charged acoustic music that makes me wish I was playing my guitar instead of adding words to this blog.

-HD