The Simple Truce – “Be right here”
-This song is right in my wheel house. I love male-female folk duos and The Simple Truce are the best example I’ve found of this sound in 2019. If you’re a fan of the movement that felt like the Civil Wars started it, you’ll love these two. The song’s lyrics are about love and perseverance. To make a relationship work, you have to be devoted to each other. “Be right here in the heartache, right here in the pain. You should know that gettin’ gone ain’t gonna make it go away.” Well ain’t that some gospel? This is what should be on country music radio. BEAUTIFUL and MEANINGFUL.
Nandedja – “Una and the Lion”
-The hypnotic acoustic guitar work introduces a poetic, moving lead vocal. This song feels like the artist is sitting in the corner of the room while you sit down with your latte and a favorite book. You mean to read the book, but instead you sit mesmerized with the artist. The simplicity is the greatest asset of this thoughtful piece.
Justin Caleb Driggers – “Into my arms”
-We don’t cover much country on our site anymore, so when we do it’s got a clear purpose. Driggers writes with an immediacy that permeates well for us. The lyrics really are the juice with this track. Honestly, I’d personally prefer a stripped down version of the track with out all the modern rock band stylings behind it. Let’s hear the Hank Sr. remix. But until then, let’s enjoy these engaging and poetic, heartbreaking lyrics.
Dyado – “End of your song”
-This is our first time covering Dyado, but it most likely won’t be the last. Dyado have a wonderful, timeless sound. It feels a bit like vintage country blended with some delicate female folk vocals. The intimacy of the recording style feels like the end of a long night at a honky tonk. I adore this notion of staying up late talking with someone, trying to figure them out because you love them so much. It’s cute and the style is sweet.
Son Little – “Suffer”
-If you’re looking for something a bit more unique than our typical folk fare, Son Little might be for you. I’m always a structure for the chromatic chord changes… and a hauntingly good lead vocal never hurts. These elements combine for a track unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. The combination of originality with puncturing lyricism in the opening makes the chilled out groove of the chorus feel sublime. This isn’t just another track, it’s a piece of art. It deserves your attention.
TOVE – “1,000,000>1”
-When the vocal enters this track, the hair on the back of my neck stands up. That’s a feat that rarely happens for me, so I probably could just stop writing here. But honestly, it’s worth saying that the haunting vocal quality of this track is worth featuring it alone, but the guitar work makes it feel captivating as well. In the same way that you might listen to Bon Iver or Sigur Ros for the atmospheric vibes more than the message, that’s how I feel about TOVE. Give this unique track a spin.
Kate Vogel – “Reasons to stay”
-This is a beautiful, breathtaking song. Kate Vogel has a gift for sincerity. The lyrics here are absolutely meaningful and necessary. It’s about sticking around to find purpose in life. The stripped down production is exactly needed for a song with such an important message. If this track speaks to you, I encourage you to reach out to Vogel and let her know. It takes remarkable courage to write lyrics like this.
Gabriel Birnbaum – “Not alone”
-It almost feels too easy to say that Birnbaum sounds like Neil Young. He sounds so much like Neil Young, you’d swear they’re related. Even the composition style feels like a track from that late 60s and early 70s time of music. I really appreciate the mesmerizing repeated lyrics. Sometimes singer songwriters try to fit so many lyrics into a track that it loses its meaning and heart. Birnbaum gets at the simplicity of infatuation. It’s a great jam.
Caelin – “Serenity”
-We have a playlist on Spotify for Autumn Leaves Falling, which we created before discovering this song, but honestly the two are a natural fit for each other. Caelin’s vocal style is vintage and ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I fell so hard for this song at first listen. It feels like a blissful dream of exploring the seasons and the geography of this tangible world. “Serenity I’ve finally found my peace.” Mmhmm.
Sawyer Fredericks – “Flowers for you”
-We’ve heard some nice tunes from Fredericks this year, but this track… wow. It packs a punch. Fredericks digs into his bluesy repetoire for a gruff, almost angry expression of love-meets-lust. It’s like the manicured image face of pop TV stardom slips off for an instance with this song, revealing a bit more of a raw style. I have a feeling some of his dedicated fanbase are going to love this gritty, almost badboy style from Fredericks.
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