Three tracks in the Americana and roots music traditions that will have you longing for your loved ones

Matthew Payne – “Better Times”
-I’ve featured Matthew Payne in the past and it’s easy to hear why he’s become a repeated “yes.” This music is the real deal. Everything from the gentle acoustic to the highlighting steel guitar feels like a sweet, meaningful recording. Payne’s expressive vocal reminds me a bit of what so many like about Jason Isbell. The lyrical style features the central sentiment that “better times come for me…” It’s a hopeful thought about how, even when we have rough moments, that it won’t always be this way. If you’re someone trying to “put roots in the ground,” as Payne writes, then this is a wonderful encouragement. I appreciate the approachable style here; it’s a timeless song that feels like how Americana ought to feel deep down in your bones.

Lila Forde – “Home”
-There are a lot of songs called “Home,” so it always makes me wonder what makes this one unique. Well… uh… just click play on it. You’ll hear quickly what makes it special. The vocal is outstanding and the narrative pulls the listener right in almost instantly. It’s a story about coming of age and then what it’s like to “come home” to that place. If you’re a listener of a certain age, you’ll definitely feel this emotion of going back to where you were raised and feeling the complex mix of emotions. The more you listen to the lyrics, the more you’ll feel a connection. (By the way, as a person named Greg who talks too much, the “Greg just shut up” line made me laugh out loud.) Sonically, it’s got this classic Americana jingle to it that reminds me a dash of James Taylor and similar storytelling troubadours of that ilk. I feel like it’s the kind of song that would have gotten Kristofferson’s toe tapping (and I mean that as sincerely high praise).

Johnnyswim – “Who’s Gonna Love Me”
-This song’s title might be one of the most-often asked questions of humanity. Who is going to love us? It’s an inherently spiritual question and there are a lot of ways to take it. But at the heart of this song is this thought of what happens when our partner is no longer with us. There’s something about that which makes me feel quite unsettled. I don’t even want to imagine this potential future. Nevertheless, the sincerity of the vocal and the entire emotional core of the song feels like it needs to be said. These are hard questions, but they are the things that resonate in the back of our minds and spirits if we’re honest with ourselves. This song is both haunting and beautiful, reminding me a bit of what I felt when I first heard the iconic folk duo the Civil Wars.

Image courtesy: Lila Forde IG