Simen Mitlid – “Saturdays”
-Mitlid is a Norwegien acoustic folk artist who might just steal your heart right out from under you. There’s a poetic sincerity to the lines in this song that are superb. I love the little chord changes at the end of some of the lines. The layered vocals work really well here. I feel like he just let us into his secret world and it’s such a fascinating place.
The Arcadian Wild – “Silence, a Stranger”
-Readers of our site know this trio. Fans of folk music should know them and if you don’t, buckle up for an absolutely SMASHING group. I’ve covered them a few times and was thrilled to hear the complexity of this new song. I’ve compared them to early Nickel Creek before and, honestly, this track is in that honored tradition as well. The soaring harmonies on the chorus have become the calling card of the Arcadian Wild and this new track fits right in with that admirable sound.
Crying Day Care Choir – “Branches”
-I don’t usually like the PR copy to inform my grasp of a song. I like to just enjoy the art on its own terms. But when I read that this song is about the band’s 93 year old grandma climbing trees, I was blown away and it totally illuminated the song for me. This is, in a word, adorable. The songwriting is beautiful and the lyrics are so reverent and sweet.
Angela Harris – “Rocks and Stones”
-Some of my kin were from the Appalachians and this music connects me with them deep in my spirit. Harris writes like it’s the middle of the 20th century and she’s got some pain to express. Yet, at the same time, she allows her beautiful crooning female lead to encourage the listener to “get up.” It’s empowering and sweet in equal measure. It gives me hope for Americana and country music in the contemporary era.
