Three outstanding new folk pop songs that will restore your faith in contemporary songwriters

Larkk – “First Kiss”
-When I click play on this song, I feel like I just opened the sweetest music box. You know those ones from the movies with the sweet little melody that plays as the box opens. Once Larkk’s vocal enters the track, it stays just as wonderful. There’s a cinematic beauty to this track that absolutely resonates. This is the definition of what folk pop music is all about. It tells a story and creates a mood that touches on pop elements, all while having this delightful narrative aspect too. This is one of the coziest songs I’ve heard all year and it makes me want to curl up into the song. The lyrical juxtaposition of the first and last kisses with someone… “the last kiss is on a couch you never lay on again.” What. A. Line.

Sydney Syrianna – “Pacifist”
-This is a love song. It’s also a heartache song. It also feels an awful lot like the indie pop that we feature from artists like Lizzy McAlpine (and yes, that’s extremely high praise from me). I adore this sound. The line about a pacifist who comes running back… it’s both a compliment and an accusation. There’s a tenderness to Syrianna’s vocal here that I really admire. The production allows the listener to connect with literally every line. The atmospheric elements in the background create this real sense of dynamism and magnitude for the track. The lyrical theme seems to be about someone who rips apart a relationship, then comes crawling back claiming to be a pacifist. “I didn’t want a truce; I just wanted you by my side.” This was a call for healing, but ends up being a message of rejection. I would say, in addition to the Lizzy comp, this is also for fans of Cole Swensen. Syrianna is a rising star in indie pop, for sure.

Dusty Stray and Xan Tyler – “Home”
-There are a lot of songs called “Home” in the world, so for me to say “yes” to another one, it has to be pretty darn good. There’s something absolutely relatable and familiar about this song that makes me want to play it all the time. It has a cozy coffeeshop vibe that I really appreciate. When the vocal harmony enters the song, it goes from already good to outstanding. This is a solid case of a piece of art being “greater than the sum of its parts.” I like all of the individual elements from the guitar to the vocals to the delicate instrumentation in the background, but when all of that comes together in a peaceful folk pop balance it becomes… just delightful. This is the kind of song I’d like to have on repeat in perpetuity; it’s charming and reminds me of a band I featured years ago called Pebaluna. It’s a wonderful treat for your coffeeshop or acoustic folk pop playlist, for sure.

Image courtesy: Larkk Facebook