Here’s another playlist brought to you by a loyal Twitter follower @delicatebliss, who suggested this one last night. At first I thought maybe she was teasing us about our overabundance of emotive folk music on our site, but really she was just excited to hear more. So sit back, relax, maybe with some coffee, and go on ignoring the people around you a bit more. Go deeper into your own soul; this is the music of introspection.
Garden City – “King of Love”
-When it comes to emotional folk music, Garden City really do it well. It’s hard for me not to compare them to an act like Water Liars, although they deserve their own identity. Heck, there’s even a bit of Penny and Sparrow here, too. It’s an eloquent and engaging sound. The balance of the strings really sets and impeccable mood.
Ryan Kulp – “Americana”
-No, that’s not a typo with the genre as the title. It’s actually the title. It is important for us to remember that emotion comes in many different forms, with Kulp really singing his heart out in a ballad style on this one. His vocal style is a little Amos Lee, a little Ray Lamontagne, and a lot of heart. This is a great track.
Ethansroom – “Sadie”
-Ethansroom has a really melancholic style, but gosh is it emotional. It really makes you want to sit forward and listen a bit more closely. There are some inflections here that remind me of William Fitzsimmons. It’s poetic and delightful.
Cameron Jones – “Shine to Rust”
-There’s something absolutely magnetic about Cameron Jones’s voice. It seems to rise up above the piano. When the harmonies enter the track, it feels all the more comforting. The lyrics are inspiring, focusing on someone who makes you a better person. It’s a wonderful track that is sure to stir your emotions.
Paul Cook and the Chronicles – “Talk Dirty”
-The title of this track might make you think it’s naughty, but really the word I would use for it is intimate. You know when you’re with someone you love and you tease and play all day long with those inside jokes about what you want to do later? That’s what this song is about. It’s also a sultry style with a stripped down electric guitar and a nice, smooth rhythm.
Aaron Espe – “Yourself”
-If you took two of my favorite artists, Noah Gundersen and Jeremiah Daly, and blended their styles you would get Aaron Espe. Color me a fan. This song has a Dylan-esque style of phrasing and contemplation. It’s a philosophical track more than purely emotional, but I find it personally moving in the “deepest kind of quiet.”
Mat Hunsley – “Do You Need Me Near”
-Mat Hunsley is an exceptionally gifted singer songwriter. You can hear from the Fleet Foxes-esque fingerpicking and singing that Hunsley bleeds folk. There’s a real sense of the imagined with this track. Although it is essentially a romance track, it conjures images of a journey for me. It’s profoundly soothing, that’s for sure.
Michael Barrow and the Tourists – “Hey Hey Hey”
-You’ll hear all sorts of familiar tones in this track. Barrow’s voice conjures comparisons with Jack Johnson or Michael Franti to me. But at the end of the day, the song is about peacefulness. It’s really a cool and comforting track. A few years ago there was a surging artist named Jason Reeves and Barrow totally has that same kind of pop magic yet still convincing songwriting style.
Connor Roff – “Brother”
-If folk music is why you follow this site, you’ll love Connor Roff’s emotionally driven music. Easily compared with James Vincent McMorrow or George Ogilvie, Connor Roff is a talented singer songwriter. The guitar work stands on its own, but then heartfelt lyrics connect with deeply personal emotions, bled out for listeners to hear and feel.
Corey Harper – “Favorite Part of Loving You” – acoustic
-Corey Harper can sing a pop lick with expert delivery. There’s just something about this voice that I can tell finds him lots of fans. I love the chord progression on this song. It fits really well with this bare bones approach. Some will hear a John Mayer or Jason Mraz comparison here. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from Corey Harper in the future.
