Three Unique, Artful Singer Songwriters

Singer songwriters seem pretty common in this day and age. But the thing is, there are a lot of copycat songwriters. It’s something truly exciting to find a songwriter who can write with a newness and rigor that pricks up our ears. These three artful singer songwriters are fantastic and deserve a bit more of your attention. Do enjoy (and share).

Lynette Williams – “Tengo”
-Lynette Williams writes with a jazz improvisational style and superb poetic lyrics. This song “Tengo” is not something you’ve ever heard before and you may never hear anything like it again. There’s a mood of austerity meeting beautiful desperation. The vocal jumps right through your ears to grip you with movement and emotion. The repetitive lyric about fearing being alone transcends one person’s experience and the desperate sweetness in the vocal really sells the message.

When tomorrow becomes yesterday – “Better Lands”
-Have you ever heard a hush come over a crowd? Where all the woo girls go silent and even the drunkest of the bunch are smart enough not to say anything. The spiritual mood of the room collapses under the weight of the moment. That’s what happens with this track. The opening female vocal cuts through the atmosphere gorgeously. As the male vocals enter the space and the quizzical lyrics dance around the track, listeners are welcomed into an intellectual conversation among troubadours. The message seems utopian, the music fitting, with shades towards the greats like Peter, Paul, and Mary, with a contemplative hope at the heart.

Chloe Jane – “Photographs”
-Chloe Jane writes with an optimistic style. It’s almost impossible to hear three bars of this without thinking of Carly Simon. The way the melody and the harmony meets and dances reminds me of some pretty great classic songs. Beyond that, though, the narrative quality of this song is a gentle pop folk style. It’s the sort of album that helps you with those hard miles over boring wide open spaces. How many of us have lived through photographs? Those windows to the past can generate such a wellspring of emotion and this song is a light and rewarding reminder of their value.