Three brand new tunes that sound like they capture the past (in the most delightful way)

John Wheeler – “Home Again”
-John Wheeler is a talented songwriter and a great guitarist. This track captures a remarkable acoustic guitar sound and storytelling folk that feels like it could have been written a hundred years ago. There’s an energy to the recording that is fresh and crisp and engaging for the listener, but there’s almost a feeling of nostalgia for a time that was generations before any of us have been alive. This ability to capture the best of Americana, the timelessness of the folk literary tradition as much as a musical tradition, is really satisfying to listen to and makes for a brilliant contribution to contemporary expressions of timeless folk music. Also, it just feels really good to be “Home Again,” (physical and spiritual, as it were) and I’m glad to support any song that captures that sentiment so well.

Wild Mountain Time – “Wild Mountain Thyme”
-It took me a few listens to hear it, but I finally found the comparison for this lead vocal, and it’s Sarah Watkins of Nickel Creek. And the more you listen to this song, this timeless Irish classic, you will hear the resonance of the American mountains. And that’s what I love about this recording. I could compliment the vocals, which are, of course, amazing, or the traditional instrumentation and style, which is delightful, but it’s really how this recording is greater than the sum of its parts. There’s a honor in the way that these artists tip their hats back across the pond to a place that many of us can trace our lineage. The timelessness of this sound and recording, you can feel that there’s fresh intonation and inflection in the voices. This isn’t merely a cover, it’s a rebirth of a classic. Finding music like this is precisely why I started writing about music, and I will be putting this in my personal rotation. I hope you will too.

The Rounder Circle – “When I Get Wings”
-The best Americana music often takes more than one classic American musical form and blends them together for something that defies genre on its own. That’s what we hear with this track from the rounder circle, which has elements of gospel and bluegrass that roll together into this unique rootsy country song that tells the story of eternal life. Now that might sound like a grandiose theme, but it’s something that people have been singing about, particularly in roots country music and bluegrass, since the genre was invented. It’s a form of coping with life’s difficulties and struggles through good harmonies, clever melodies, and lyrics that reassure the listener of a salvation that comes through grace. It’s a really wonderful, articulate track that shows a clear connection, a through line to the past, while expressing a fresh, energetic sound for listeners in the modern day. This one is a real hidden gem, and I hope you’ll give it a chance.