Three distinctly different types of folk that show the versatility of the genre

Wildflowers – “Down the Line”
-I’m a big fan of the vocal harmonies on this song. I feel like I could just stop the review there. “Incredible vocal harmonies.” But you know what, the rest of the song is great too. There’s a timeless folksy energy to the song that I appreciate. If you like southern Americana and country style, there’s a lot to like about this one. I will say the reference “Lady Mae” caught me a bit off guard as that’s maybe a connection to Tyler Childers (and his wife). That said, the overall style is just so charming that I had to say yes to covering this one. The acapella harmony sections remind me of congregational singing and bluegrass, so I’m definitely a fan.

Jesper Hasnaoui – “The Other Side”
-Stop me if you’ve heard this before… but I was really impressed with the harmonies on this wonderful folk track. But this song, unlike other stripped down folk I tend to feature, has some big time production swells that make it feel like a bigger pop track. The energy is infectious on this one. I actually really appreciate the shifting dynamics of the track from calmer folksy elements to bigger pop swells. It’s a bit of a slanted comparison, but it puts me in mind of what I liked when I first heard Coldplay. The storytelling element pulls the listener in while the production keeps these moving emotional sections feeling alive. For fans of Ben Abraham and similar folk pop singer songwriters.

Ethan Herschberger and Zach Busick – “Foreign Use”
-I’m going to make two wild comparisons here. These guys remind me a little of Water Liars, a southern folk outfit who have produced some of the most amazing songs I’ve heard in the past two decades. The other comparison is the early career Avett Brothers. Now I know that’s high praise, but if you click on this song you’ll hear amazing harmonies and a sense of melody that is outstanding. It’s got this timeless quality to it that appeals to fans of roots country and Americana particularly well. **NOTE: I didn’t notice that this song is from 2020 until writing this review. We usually don’t feature songs more than six months from release, but this one squeezed through. Nevertheless, spin it. This is a great piece of songwriting and well worth your time.