Raising Daughters – “House Song”
-If you’re looking for a song that seems to bring together all the best of the down home sound, definitely click on this one. Harmonies? Gottem. A classic instrumentation that feels timeless? Got that too. And a sense of dynamics that rises and rolls with the song like a good modern bluegrass tune? Oh yeah! Heck, even the lyrics feel like they could have been penned by Dolly herself. “Come on mama, can’t you be a little bit stronger? Hold on.” It’s charming, interesting, and relatable. The singing, the mood, the writing… it’s all fantastic. This is what down home folk music is all about.
Tugboat Captain – “Marmalade Making”
-It’s single digits here today, so the “cold winter’s day” feels relatable for sure. But beyond that, there’s a timeless sensibility to this song that warms my heart from the inside out. While we didn’t make marmalade in my neighborhood, we did make apple butter and this song conjures those memories. It’s the memory of people who are long since passed, but everything about this song (including the group singing) feels like a classic country singalong. It’s a sweet song about a bygone era. I appreciate the accessibility and sincerity in the performance from the vocals to the piano. It just feels right.
Bromethius – “What Can You Do?”
-This is some of the coolest electric guitar I’ve heard in recent memory… then you add on this clever vocal that feels like it doesn’t care what genres are and is just as smooth as can be. You put them together and make this beautiful alchemy that feels like folk and some sort of slick alt rock that is simultaneously a lullaby and a declaration of intent (maybe love?). And behold, a whistle solo, one of music’s great mysterious treats. I sometimes say that a song is greater than the sum of its parts and, honestly, that could not be more true with this song. It feels minimalist and sweet, but if you really lean in and listen you will love this song too. It’s lyrically about nostalgia, looking back on what you used to have in an amazing relationship/moment “in the past.” Amen to that. This is a captivating and heart-breaking song.
Image courtesy: Raising Daughter IG
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