Dante Matas – “Not enough”
-If you’re looking for a sweet, atmospheric style of Americana, give Dante Matas’s latest work a spin. The track balances acoustic guitar, lead vocal, and an organ really well. There’s a rich full band style that feels like it takes a bit from modern rock and meshes it with a kind of classic pop folk style. The end result doesn’t really have a genre home in 21st century music, so Americana works well. The approachable and personable vibe of the lead vocal really makes the track stand out in the contemporary music world.
Jenner Fox – “Biggest rock”
-If you’re looking for a style of Americana in the vibe of Rayland Baxter, give Jenner Fox a spin. The writing on this one is fantastic. Something about the string work and phrasing reminds me of Andrew Marlin as well. It’s a colorful, expressive songwriting style. It’s incredibly rare to find a songwriter with this kind of acumen and style. And without delving too deep into lyrics that I don’t fully grasp, I will just say that it’s worth taking the time to think about both the surface and the sub-surface meanings. It’s a song that’s about a lot of things all at once.
Ernest Aines – “So far”
-Fans of blues rooted Americana will find a lot to like with the music of Ernest Aines. The expressive songwriting style finds itself deeply entrenched in a timeless blues rock tradition. The lead vocal is particularly strong on this track. The melody, bass line, and overall groove of the track are outstanding. It reminds me a little of when I first heard the iconic guitarist Johnny Lang just ripping through the guts of blues music (in a good way). Aines has that kind of raw, murky, blunt-driving-force of momentum in his writing. It plods; it pushes; it’s music with soul and depth. Ultimately, it’s worth feeling the soulful depth of this bluesy Americana.
