Three new folk songs, including an instant add to the “song of the year” candidate list

Dan Pallotta – “School Bus”
-This is the first song in a long, long time that made me openly cry. I mean… I’m talking full on crocodile tears and a feeling of being completely brokenhearted… and then heart restoration. I’ve told a few friends that it’s a John Prine style song. I truly believe that, even after several listens. The emotional core of this song is wonderful, driven by an accessible acoustic guitar and a relatable vocal. It feels like listening to a good story from an old friend. But let me warn you… it’s going to hit you right in the feels (especially if you’ve been in a long term relationship).

Yaz Williams – “What You Know”
-There’s a sweet sincerity to the vocal on this track that made me smile from first listen. The acoustic guitar feels familiar and gentle, lulling the listener into a peaceful engagement with the lyrical concept. It’s a soft, expressive type of folk music that is good from the start, but when the harmony vocal enters it goes from good to great. “It feels harder than you thought, don’t it?… anything other than what you know.” This is about the uncertainty in life. It’s a gentle encouragement in the midst of uncertainty (or at least that’s how it hits me). I could listen to this vocal all day.

Sam Robbins – “Piles of Sand”
-I’ve been a sucker for good fingerpicking basically my whole life, so I was hooked on this track right away. Once Robbins started singing, I was definitely an instant fan. The phrasing on this track between the guitar and the vocal is exceptional; I mean that, by the way. I listen to hundreds (if not thousands) of folk songs a year and it’s really rare to find this type of perfectly threaded folk songwriting. Robbins is a gifted artist and performer; we’ll definitely be watching his career from this point. The lyrical concept, by the way, should resonate with a lot of folks. “I thought it was a mountain but it was just a pile of sand.” This is all too common. I would love to hear music like this on country radio.

Image courtesy: Dan Pallotta FB