Three new Americana tracks that will have you thinking of the distant past

Haunted Like Human – “Growing Pains”
-It’s not just because the word history is in the first line of this song that I ended up thinking of historical origins. In fact, there’s a haunting timelessness to this composition that made me think of bygone eras. The lyrical style feels like it’s from another era as well. The instrumentation has an intriguing heaviness to it, but I think it’s the vocal that really feels the most traditional. The layers of the string work, especially the fiddle, gives this a really deeply arcane feeling. Honestly, I could probably spend time with every line here and write a riff on it. The line about gluttony killing the pigeons is a good example of the layers of meaning; this strikes me as the type of Americana that’s for fans of more modern artists like Jason Isbell, or the many older artists he admires like Doc Watson and the long tail of country-meets-folk artists that we often throw under the Americana umbrella. It’s worth your time, that’s for sure.

Admiral Radio – “Queen of the Earth / Glory in the Meetinghouse”
-So when I shared this track with my friends, I said “if you ever listened to ‘Ashokan Farewell’ and felt the hair on the back of your neck stand up, click play on this.” To be honest, that’s pretty much the sum total of how I feel about this performance. These are my people. I mean, I don’t know them personally, but if you go back in time far enough you will find some of our family all around the campfire somewhere… maybe it’s in the hills of western Virginia or back in the isles of Brittania, but somewhere you’ll find our people together. I just cannot fathom how this works across time and space that I can listen to this song recorded by strangers hundreds of miles away… click play and feel transported to another time, place, and dimension. If you don’t believe that music is magic, then listen to this track. I love this on an existential level and will add this track to my personal rotation.

Vogs – “Twist Top”
-If you’re looking for a toe tapper, definitely check out this new track from Vogs. It’s got elements of classic country storytelling with a crispy electric guitar that feels a bit more like contemporary rock music. The blending of styles here, though, feels like Americana in more of the Alabama Shakes style. I appreciate the soaring energy on the chorus that invites listeners to join in hand clapping and singing along. Yet there’s an interesting break in this track… instead of leaving listeners yee-hawing out the back of the venue, it shifts toward a much more contemplative style. The lyrics about someone pulling the strings that keeps us apart feels more like a Jesse Welles line, encouraging all of us to think about our place in the world. I can’t say I was expecting that turn in the song, but it sure resonates with where my spirit’s at these days. Give it a spin and feel the range of emotions it has to offer.