Three cathartic, acoustic singer songwriters that will stop you in your tracks

Adeline Lopez – “Drink Up”
-Sometimes you can hear the weather and experience in someone’s life because of gruffness, but in this voice from Adeline Lopez there’s a sense of that same difficulty in the lyrics. The voice, on the other hand, is beautiful and pure. In other words, Lopez doesn’t sound like she has the rough experience she talks about, but the depth of the lyrics show a complexity that is emotionally charged. With an honesty that reminds me of artists like Dodie Clark, there’s an intimacy and vulnerability to the track that feels disarming and sad, yet beautiful. It leaves the listener hoping everything turned out okay…

Oliver Hazard – “The Morning”
-The genre “folk” has gotten to a point that it’s probably too large to convey the different subtypes that it includes. That said, this acoustic singersongwriter track from the band Oliver Hazard fulfills a particularly sweet version of the folk genre. (Yes, they’re a band not an individual.) The lyrics take on an optimistic tone, hoping that the two people can be together. The question, “would you love me in the morning?” has a longing to it. There’s a good bit of reading between the lines in these lyrics, but they certainly convey a lightness and hopefulness that something good might happen. I adore the harmonies, of course, and the Ivan and Alyosha style neofolk energy of the track. This is definitely a band on the rise in the folk world and we’re happy to feature them again here.

The National Forest – “Last Time”
-Atmospheric electric guitars and an understated vocal that sounds like it’s recorded somewhere far off the beaten path… mmhmm, gimme some of that! This sound from The National Forest makes me feel like I need to put on some flannel and sit back with a good cup of ethically sourced coffee while I take in the lyrics. It’s poetic, moving, and romantic. It exudes authenticity. At the end of the first verse (or is it a verse melded into a chorus?) there’s a guitar solo that sings so sweetly that it made me wonder if it was a violin. This whole production has moments like that, an unhurried and sincere bit of songwriting that demands inclusion on your favorite introspective folk playlist.

Image courtesy: Adeline Lopez IG