Mo Kenney – “With you”
-There’s nothing I can say to prepare your ears for the gorgeous harmonies you are about to hear when you click play. From a production standpoint, I have to say I am thrilled that they get right to the beautiful harmonies rather than waiting until halfway through the song. Mo Kenney is an artist we have featured in the past, but this song feels like it reaches another level of contemplative and peaceful harmony-driven folk music. This is a gem.
The Accidentals – “Eastern Standard Time”
-The vocal phrasing on this track could be used in music schools for how to write and perform. There’s such a beautiful light and energy to this song, too. The production builds allowing the vocal harmonies to add to the lyrical story. The dynamics of the strings swelling into the title phrase “eastern standard time” works really well. It is nothing short of being a folk production masterpiece.
Luke Sital-Singh – “Me and God”
-This is an exceptional piece of songwriting. The confessional lyrics are really captivating. Fans of Noah Gundersen’s early work will find a lot of parallels in the acoustic work that meets thoughtful lyrics. This is a spiritual song, of course, but it’s also a song about how we as humans commune with the divine. It’s not a denominationally rooted message by any stretch. It’s beautifully conceived and executed, with colorful and expressive lines about the desire to “listen” despite the disconnection we sometimes (or always) feel with the supernatural. I adore this kind of music sonically as well as lyrically.
Image courtesy: The Accidentals IG
