Brandon Lane Moore – “Drivin’ in the Rain”
-When I listen to folk rock, I want to feel like I’m in a state of timelessness. I want to feel like I could be sitting in a mid-80s Chevy pickup truck riding anywhere from a farm field in Pennsylvania to the open dusty deserts of Arizona. This new track from Brandon Lane Moore has just that perfect balance of electric guitar and sincere vocals that works perfectly for the vibe. The titular line about driving in the rain feels just perfect for the mood of folk rock I appreciate. The steel guitar soars with just enough flavor to be country adjacent, but without going there fully. Fans of the sort of Americana from folks like Steve Earle or his son Justin Townes Earle will find a lot to like in this cool folk rock track.
Motel Sundown – “What Do I Know”
-If you’ve been around my writing for any length of time, you’ll know that I am an absolute sucker for good vocal harmonies. This track has them in spades; it’s a sound that feels as much like the great folk harmony bands of the 70s (like CSNY) as it does traditional folk rock. This is a sound that if there was a contemporary version of CSNY, this is what they’d sound like. The production is excellent. It’s the satisfying vocal blending on the chorus that really makes this track resonate. Something about the crooning electric guitar on the bridge makes the track feel like it could have been written in the late 70s or early 80s and that works just fine for us.
Elephant Den – “I’ll Be There When I Get There”
-If you’re a fan of chill guitar work and a real sense of tension, give this track a spin. Of course it doesn’t stay tense forever, moving to a rhythmic piano style that builds into a sound that feels a bit like a colorful blend of Billy Joel and a more contemporary artist like Dr Dog. There’s an eclectic energy to this track that I think is going to give it a serious niche following. I appreciate the wrinkles in the production that make it feel like an artful version of the tried and true folk rock genre. I’m not an expert on lyrics, but I think this is highlighting a philosophy of presentism, an almost zen-like acceptance that we cannot control our destiny or direction. “I’ll be there when I get there” is a beautiful, simple resignation that most of *gestures broadly* this… is beyond our control.
Image courtesy: Elephant Den IG
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