Melissa Carper – “Ain’t a day goes by”
-If you’ve been around my writing about music in the past year, you’ll be familiar with Melissa Carper. Her sincerity and authenticity is evident immediately. The effect on the sound overall feels like a true throwback yet still has that feeling of being genuine. Carper sings clearly with a lot of soulful energy. The piano and overall composition has a gospel flavor, which of course is a close cousin to country music. The combination, especially with the organ solo, makes for a delightfully soulful listening experience. This one is powerful enough to get even the most adamant apostates to stand up and sing some praises.
Ian James Bain – “Road song”
-It probably comes as no surprise to readers that I spend a lot of time listening to old school roots country. When I clicked on Bain’s latest track “Road song” I thought maybe I was listening to one of those classics like “Willie or Merle.” The easy going rhythm feels all too comfortable. I can relate to the lyrics of this song so much that it feels like Bain expressed my own heart. It’s an exceptional piece of songwriting and I could do for a lot more like this. Every time I’ve listened to it, I’ve gotten chills. How’s that for an endorsement? Give it a spin, friends. If you love roots country, you’ll love this song.
Riley Catherall – “Bark at the moon”
-If my favorite types of Americana music were in a venn diagram there would be roots country on one side and modern rock-infused tunes (like Jason Isbell) on the other side. Riley Catherall’s sound would be smack dab in the middle. “Bark at the moon” has a wonderful sense of calm to it, all while expressing heartfelt emotion in the lyrics. The mood of the track matches the lyrical sincerity perfectly. Catherall’s vocal reminds me a little of the Ryan Adams and Rayland Baxter. It’s a chilled out vibe that’s sure to win over a lot of Americana fans.
