Three outstanding indie folk tunes, including one that’s a six-minute work of art

Bryse Taylor – “Unwound”
-If you like fingerpicking, boy are you in the right place. I think I write about a fingerpicking folk tune just about every other day. This one by Bryse Taylor is excellent; the guitar is great, the vocal solid, and the lyrics are convincing. It’s got this storytelling vibe about someone catching him before he completely loses everything. There’s a clever little line about taking downers that has a purposeful style to it, the song feels more philosophical than purely designed for shock value. This is a song about spiraling out of control and just hoping that someone else might come in and help out. Who among us cannot relate to this sentiment?

J Lind – “Monsoon Season”
-I feel like I could have just as easily curated this track into the folk rock playlist I featured earlier today. But you know what, this song is wonderful. The songwriting is on par with artists like Anna Tivel, these expressive lines about common folks living ordinary lives. The mix of human experiences with natural features feels really gritty and rooted. Sonically, I don’t think I’m alone in feeling a bit of a Springsteen energy (especially with the propelling rock energy blended with an expressive piano part). The whole energy of the track blends together for something special. I’m glad to support music of this high quality and hope that Lind finds many, many new followers from our readership here.

St. Catherine’ Child – “New Eden”
-Ok, so to put this song into perspective, when I clicked play on it for this write up, I literally took a deep breath. I just spent a few minutes trying to see if I had any way to contact Dodie Clark because I think she would love this song to the moon; so there’s that. It’s such an emotional, heavy, beautiful piece of artwork that I just want every wonderful creative person to hear it. Let’s take the music first; it’s a cool easy going folk track with guitars and a relaxed rhythm section that allows the vocal to shine through. The melody feels comfortable, with gentle piano and keys elements that accompany the tender vocals on the verses. But the lyrics… good heavens. I’m almost afraid to even try to unpack them; it seems to be about a child, a loss, a breakup, extensive grief, trying to feel again, the “greatest pain,” and a terrible time to fall in love. “But… New Eden doesn’t wait for anyone.” I’m not sure if this is about heaven… or something else. But you know what I really makes this song incredible is the concluding sentiment, “the antidote to death, my dear, is love.”
**Related fun note: I never feature long tracks, so when a six minute song makes the list, you know it’s going to be out of this world.

Image courtesy: St Catherine’s Child IG