Three new tracks at the intersection of folk and Americana

Lillian Leadbetter – “Move the Moon”
-I’m not sure how they recorded this track, but it captures an intimacy that you’ll rarely hear. It’s almost like the lead vocal is whispered into the microphone, yet it’s somehow perfectly in tune also. This is delicate and intricate, a truly unique performance. It’s lyrically a song about desiring to work together with someone and, while the task of moving the moon may seem larger than life, it carries this metaphorical weight of doing the impossible with someone you love. Again, it’s intimacy on top of intimacy. The vocal harmony carries that through the rest of the track, creating something that reminds me of the connection of the Civil Wars with the instrumentation and charm of Nickel Creek. This is an exceptional track.

Little Stream – “Mermaid”
-There’s a gentle folk style here that captured my attention right from first listen. Maybe it’s the clarity of the vocal or the sparse (yet impactful) production that does it, but the whole vibe of this track feels just right. If you’ve ever been scared by the connection of a relationship… the concern that either it works (and then what!?) or that it all falls apart (and THEN what?!)… this song captures that whole feeling of elation and fear so well. The delicate guitar work provides the perfect basis for the heartfelt blues-leaning Americana vocals. Near the 2 minute mark some vocal highlights enter the track, which makes an already lovely tune get even better. This is a hidden gem.

Allen Dobb – “Ballad of Willie Holmes”
-We don’t have a lot of balladeers in the world anymore, so it’s nice to run across one like Allen Dobb. This storytelling style feels as timeless as American music itself. The phrasing, the expressive guitar, and especially the just-enough-gruff vocal works really well here. Dobb expresses each line like he means it with all of his being. Fans of classic folk storytellers like Ramblin’ Jack Elliott or Stevie Goodman will find a lot to like about this style. Once the track picks up on the chorus, the banjo makes it ramble a bit more than the chorus, and it really works well. Something about the subtle flourishes from the mandolin and fiddle give it a timeless genre-bending style that works perfect for Americana. Hopefully the Americana radio and chart folks will find this one; it deserves to be widely shared.

Image courtesy: Lillian Leadbetter IG