Three expressive indie folk tunes to make you lean in and listen close

harry hook is real – “effigies”
-No, my shift key is not broken. I’ve copied the stylizing that “harry hook is real” has in his name. This song is more sophisticated than what we typically feature. It reminds a bit of Water Liars, another excellent folk artist. Something about the phrasing and use of space on this song works incredibly well. The subtle vocal harmonies make the track feel accessible and warm. Lyrically, you’re going to have to listen to this a few times like a Dylan tune to fully grasp it. I’m not entirely sure, but the song seems to be about the aftermath of losing someone and trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces or move on? Even if the lyrics don’t fully connect, there’s so much to like in the melody and performance that the song is worth plenty of listens for the music alone.

Max Garcia Conover – “camry”
-We’ve featured Conover here before and it’s easy to hear why he’s a regular artist on our site; the songwriting is darling. Conover’s vocal style feels almost like spoken poetry at times, but it works really well in connecting to bygone eras of the folk tradition. The lyrics of this song are all about dreaming, the hope of the future despite setbacks. I’m not sure, but I can’t help but wonder if the line about not being about peaches is a reference to John Prine. Either way, this is a thoughtful and expressive bit of songwriting about hoping that things will work out despite the circumstances. Big relate buddy, big relate.

Preen – “By now”
-“By now I thought it would be easy…” Wow, has this artist been reading my diary? I mean, I don’t write one out, but there’s a lot about this song that really connects. But let me tell you, aside from lyrics that connect, the instrumentation on this track is delightfully warm. As a former trumpet player, I have to say I love the horn work on this one. It’s a song that doesn’t necessarily have a genre home, but I’m happy to put it in the folk and classic pop area. The vocal harmonies are really nice as well. Although it’s not exactly the same kind of structure, something about this song reminds me of what I loved so much when I first found Good Old War. The harmonies have shades of the past, uniqueness in the present, and a warmth that makes “By now” a must listen track for fans of indie folk music.