Fans of old school folk music get comfortable because I’m about to introduce you to a new favorite artist. I’ve covered Alan Barnosky around here before, but I want you to take me seriously. If you’re a fan of Mandolin Orange style new folk music, you’re going to love this guy.
“I Heart Mountains”
-Anyone who has every driven the Blue Ridge Parkway or visited the Smokies will connect with this song. I mean it’s about mountains, but it’s also about falling in love. Isn’t it great how places sometimes remind us of the people that we love? The fingerpicking on this track is just outstanding. I could listen to this over and over.
“Make Me Right”
-The lyrical style and presentation on this track is just magical. Sometimes Barnosky has a little bit of a Pokey Lafarge style to his writing and delivery. It’s crazy that this song could have been a hit in the 1940s, but it still holds a powerful quality to our ears today. Barnosky’s training must be in some pretty old school Appalachian traditions. His sense of melody really allows the guitar sing rather than it merely accompanying the vocal. The blend of the two is divine.
