Three engaging new singer songwriters at the connection point of rock, Americana, and alt country music

Adrien Latgé – “Fresh Air”
-When I first found this song, I experienced a number of successive moments of joy. I like the beat and the overall vibe, but then the voice hit me as well. There were a few of these chord changes and overall melodic turns that really made the song unexpectedly solid. I find it hard to categorize; it’s a bit of straight rock but has some really fascinating folksy twists. I’m just really glad to have discovered it and I hope that listeners won’t get caught up in genre and will just enjoy this incredible songwriting. Please listen and share with your friends. It’s a good one!

Sean Tobin – “Seasick”
-I’m not going to lie here… I’ve been sitting on this song for a little while. It’s not that I didn’t want to cover it; I just wanted to make sure I could situate it in good company with similar rock-based Americana music. Tobin writes with a sound that is gritty enough to fit with our typical Americana coverage, but there’s also a lightness in the composition style that I really appreciate. I don’t like to throw around comparisons to Jason Isbell, but I would say it’s clear that Tobin has Isbell-like influences in terms of phrasing and overall writing. (Maybe he’s a Driveby Truckers fan…) Nevertheless, the style is going to find a following among a certain alt country crowd who leans into sophisticated rock-based energy with lyrics that make you lean in a bit (in a good way). This is definitely a track that deserves serious engagement from serious alt country fans.

Big Chemical – “Crescent Moon”
-The electric guitar and the vocal are good, but when the bassline enters this track it just takes on a whole new life. I dig the way this song builds from the opening into a full-throated anthemic style track. There’s a snappiness to the composition on this track that makes it feel like a cult classic. The sophistication on the chorus-into-bridge transition is fantastic. I don’t know enough about the musicology to know what I’m hearing, but it feels great and is definitely unlike anything I’ve ever heard. I appreciate how the song has some of these predictable sections that feel like easy going alt rock, then has these other moments that feel like they were written with a Brian Wilson-esque sense of melody and chord change. This track is a whole vibe and I’m here for it.

Image courtesy: Adrien Latge IG