Songs written for, or about, my four year old son Gabriel, and charting the journey from boyhood through young manhood to fatherhood

'Every track is an absolute gem...Rupert’s music has a timeless quality, and he oozes sheer class' (Mick's Picks, Folk Wales Magazine)

'Indispensable...A masterpiece on the borders of traditional folk...and timeless songwriting' (https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/rupert-wates-father-to-the-man/)

'Themes that are recognizable to everyone...(wrapped) in beautiful, subdued songs' (https://www.realrootscafe.com/category/album-recencie/)

'Never superfluous or artificial...(It) confirms Rupert Wates as one of the greats of the folk scene' (https://www.rootshighway.it/outsiders/2025/wates.htm)

'A quiet and intimate album from the heart' (https://folking.com/rupert-wates-father-to-the-man-bite-music-br12119/)

'(Four Stars)...Musical gems that fit seamlessly with the rich British folk tradition' (https://writteninmusic.com/albumrecensie/rupert-wates-father-to-the-man/)

'...Demonstrates what stunning mental images and pictures a true maestro can produce without a brush' (https://fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/reviews/RupertWates7/)

'A piece of wonder and warmth' (https://www.altcountry.nl/blog/2025/06/rupert-wates-6/)

'A showcase of sublime guitar skills...Wates is...compared to acoustic folk heavyweights such as Nick Drake, Bert Jansch and John Martyn with justification...Offering the listener enviable folk-guitar skills and well-constructed poetic lyrics' (https://americana-uk.com/rupert-wates-father-to-the-man)

'Beautifully delivered throughout' (https://www.lonesomehighway.com/music-reviews/2025/6/16/new-album-reviews)

'Simple, direct and beautifully played' (http://whisperinandhollerin.com/reviews/review.asp?id=19495)

'There is a refreshing directness to his lyric writing...He uses delightful phrases to weave his tales. Recorded sensitively and written from the heart' (4 Stars) (https://www.rock-n-reel.co.uk/)

'(A) Gorgeous new collection of songs' (https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=28537)

'...With his voice as clear as a serene river...he fuses the melodic elegance of British folk with the harmonic warmth of American acoustic jazz...Songs that speak calmly to the heart' (4 songs by 4 Artists, June 2025, Querido Bartleby)

'...One of the best folk songwriting albums of recent years' (Mescalina, Italy https://www.mescalina.it/musica/recensioni/rupert-wates-father-to-the-man)

This is a love song to humanity. Featuring songs based loosely on old English folk tales, it tells stories of ordinary people: sailors on a smuggling ship, star crossed lovers, soldiers on the eve of war. At once ancient and contemporary, the album delivers folk music in its truest sense - which is music of the people, by the people, for the people

'Masterfully crafted songs' (https://americana-uk.com/rupert-wates-for-the-people)

'An exemplary work that embodies the best qualities of the genre' (https://www.georgegraham.com/reviews/rupert-wates.html)

'An absolute must for fans of British folk' (https://bluestownmusic.nl/review-rupert-wates-for-the-people/)

'Don't miss this record' (https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/rupert-wates-for-the-people/)

'Ten tracks of superb guitar work and soulful vocals delivering a folk oriented joyous 35 minutes of pure class' (https://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/reviews/RupertWates4/)