Three Americana singer songwriters to catch your attention

Madeleine Kelson – “Joker”
-This song immediately makes me think of three artists: Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, and David Ramirez. There’s a sincerity in the recording that I absolutely admire. Kelson’s vocal has a smooth sound to it. It’s more smooth like whiskey than smooth like honey, if that makes sense. Anyways, the song has a few layers of symbolism based on playing cards and romance; it’s certainly a kind of songwriting that is sorely missed in pop country music. This is the kind of thing that should be on the radio. Kelson’s doing some next level writing and we’re happy to support a quality track like this.

Sam McCue – “Colorado double”
-If you’re looking for a good narrative country tune, check out this story of a saddle. Yeah, that’s right, the whole song is about a saddle. Except, really, it’s a song about the love of a grandfather and grandson. The sense of adventure comes across really nicely on this song. The acoustic guitar provides a solid basis for this classic sounding track. It feels like something George Strait would have recorded a few decades ago. It’s a good tune.

Brad Faulkner – “On my way”
-There’s an energy to the electric guitar in the opening of this track that really captures my ear. I don’t know what it is, exactly, but once the lead vocal enters there’s a familiarity to the song that works really well. Faulkner’s voice reminds me a lot of what I’ve always appreciated about Matthew Mayfield. It’s a nice mix of gruff texture with a smooth polish; the end result is a textbook rock-influenced Americana sound. The lyrics are about finding your way through life, something that we can all relate to. The conversation about restless nights when you’re not where you’re supposed to be… whew, been there. I hope he finds his way… or whoever he’s singing about here.

Image courtesy: Brad Faulkner IG