Joe Kutryk’s second single, “Do You Ever? (think of me)“, is the kind of song that sneaks up on you in the quiet moments—late at night, perhaps, when conversation has dried up and the only sound left is the dull hum of memory. Two months after his debut, the Manchester-born alt-folk artist returns with a track that feels deeply intimate and universally resonant. Written during the heavy stillness of lockdown but released into a world that has ostensibly reopened, the song finds its power in the uncomfortable truth that even without physical barriers, the emotional walls we build are just as hard to break down. It’s a meditation on distance, pride, and the ways we fail to say the words that matter most to the people closest to us.
What makes “Do You Ever? (think of me)” so compelling is its deliberate restraint. Recorded entirely in Kutryk’s bedroom on a single Rode NT1-A microphone, the track refuses polish in favour of raw honesty. The production carries an intentional stillness, each note lingering as if waiting for a response that never comes. Acoustic guitar lines drift in and out of focus, while layered harmonies and subtle string textures—courtesy of his wife, Nadia—give the song a hushed, fragile warmth. There’s a sense of time suspended here, a sonic reflection of the quiet pauses that sit between conversations left unfinished. Rather than rushing toward a climax, the track leans into its hesitation, creating a kind of musical negative space that amplifies the weight of what goes unsaid.
Lyrically, Kutryk balances melancholy with wry self-awareness. The song traces the awkward rituals of human connection, the small talk, avoidance, and the pride that so often stands in the way of vulnerability. The repeated question in the title, “Do You Ever? (think of me),” lands less as an accusation and more as a plea—an open wound disguised as casual curiosity. In this, Kutryk channels the spirit of the late-2000s nu-folk movement he so clearly admires, with echoes of Johnny Flynn’s poetic candour and the era’s blend of rustic instrumentation with unflinching honesty. The influence is evident, but Kutryk makes it his own, adding a dry humour that softens the melancholy without diminishing it. This is music that winks at its sadness, aware of the absurdity in how hard it is to simply speak from the heart.
What’s striking is how Kutryk’s songwriting situates itself at the intersection of the personal and the universal. The song was born in isolation, a product of lockdown’s enforced distance, yet its emotional core outlives that context. Whether the unspoken words belong to a friend, a family member, or a lost love, the experience is instantly recognisable. We’ve all had conversations rehearsed but never delivered, truths left unsaid until the moment passes. Kutryk’s achievement lies in capturing that common ache without melodrama, turning silence itself into a kind of instrument. In his hands, absence becomes presence, and restraint becomes resonance.
With “Do You Ever? (think of me),” Joe Kutryk confirms the promise of his debut and expands on it, carving out a distinct voice in the contemporary folk landscape. The track is tender, unhurried, and quietly radical in its refusal to disguise vulnerability behind production gloss or lyrical bravado. By recording in solitude and embracing imperfection, Kutryk has created a piece of music that feels achingly human—fragile, flawed, but profoundly real. This is an invitation to stop, to listen, and maybe, finally, to speak.
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