Four Singer Songwriters You Will Love

Singer Songwriters are amazing people. They can do it all, it seems, and for me they end up being therapist as much as entertainment. They are artists, sure, but poets and sages all as well. These four talented singer songwriters are sure to make you smile and maybe even fall in love.

Jennifer Kamikazi – “To the Brim”
-Jennifer Kamikazi begs for comparison with Corinne Bailey Rae, but honestly she’s making a name for herself. The sound is endearing yet still quite serious. She has an uncanny ability to phrase even the simplest lyric with bright inflections. Her lyric “looking for love that will fulfill me” is the essence of what it means to be human. This expressive, intimate track grows in complexity. Seriously listen to the whole thing; you won’t be disappointed.

Darren Campbell – “Growing Apart”
-I know you shouldn’t judge a song by its cover, but something about the album art on this track made me think it was going to sound like an Americana artist (ala Jason Isbell), instead Darren Campbell is a bona fide indie singer songwriter with some emo-influenced chops. The lyrics are delivered with an impassioned sincerity. I love the understated melody and overall composition, which works wonders in expressing the tragic lyrics and need for separation. Been there, man.

VACAY – “Moving You”
-My best comparison for VACAY is the brilliant singer songwriter Brett Dennan, but that’s a bit like comparing Michelangelo with Da Vinci. To call them both good artists is pretty oversimplified. VACAY has a palpable energetic style. It’s a pop flavor, but also conjures a sort of positivity that I find fascinating. The song’s lyrics dance around the concept of personal attraction between people, but does so with sonic images as vibrant and persuasive as the lyrics themselves.

Joe Marson – “No Retreat”
-For something a little different, give a listen to Joe Marson’s Lenny Kravitz style rock guitar pop music. There are inflections of blues in the sound, sure, but a driving energy that feels more like a popular blues style than anything. Fans of the genre might point to people like Johnny Lang or Kenny Wayne Sheppard rather than Kravitz, but I find Marson’s vocal talent to be more similar to Kravitz, putting him in that category. I’d love to hear him live; I bet he can shred a stage like he shreds the guitar.