We lost ourselves in the hypnotic quiver that permeates from garden, the new single from néomí. Possessing a voice that leaves admirers powerless, néomí exists beyond the throes of desire. It’s a metaphysical presence, like a musical sermon fit to free you from your earthly shackles. Seeing beyond her internal struggles she conjures the trauma of another, penning an honorable ode to her grandfather and his struggles with Alzheimer’s.
If you share in the experience, garden is guaranteed to bring you to tears. She amplifies odd flashes of beauty within this crisis, how it teaches you about the human experience and what matters the most; what sticks to you like glue in your final moments. Stylistically it bridges an aura known to Sara McLaughlin into an indie folk framework.
néomí is featured on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
A rare baritone breaks through on Fire Behind The Breeze, the new single from Roland Dixon. His curious voice lends to the exotic aura, adding personality beyond the notes. It feels connected to the legacy of Tom Waits but without the coarse rough grumble, yet still embracing the mumble. Somewhere between an accent and three sheets to the wind, Dixon stumbles exquisitely between the tinkering clock like pecks of this fractured orchestra.
Like flicked bike spokes or toy box clacks the strings tickle percussively, adding to the songs collective autonomous nature. As if the musicians coerced into Dylan’s Tempest band found a younger unbroken version of the man and slightly altered the compositions to keep them fresh. In this moment in time Dixon does it better, and for a music discovery blog tired of stalwarts, we prefer Dixon today.
Roland Dixon is featured on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
Like distant echoes through the highlands of Scotland the new single Feathers updates a classic vibe with modern rhetoric. Seán R. McLaughlin and the Wind-Up Crows approach an influence of traditional folk respectfully, honoring its integrity while offering some additional stomp-and-holla energy.
From rural Perthshire to across the Pond in the Hudson Valley, Feathers was a unique effort that included The Felice Brothers producer Jeremy Backofen, and mandolin player Stephen Thom. That trans Atlantic partnership reflects the songs subtle influence of Americana.
An ode to poor decision making and the toxic cycle of self justification, Feathers is more than a feel good pub set opener. In the tradition of folk it tells the stories of regular people with poetic jest, finding fun in the folly. It helps to soften the blow of reality, and connects the perils that plague us all.
Hear Feathers now on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
Held says a lot with a little on their impactful new single Forever Wolves (feat. Andrew Shupert). With a just a couple chords and a penchant for dramatic builds and immersive atmosphere, everything seems in its right place on this arrangement. They embrace the riffs unique flexibility, playing to its subtle shift like clever poetic cadence.
The vocal is rich with depth and and a perceived breadth of experience, as it patiently dips in and out of the melodic narrative, as if to show respect to its reverence. Stylistically the composition recalls early works known to The War On Drugs and Kurt Vile. It’s a testament to its minimalistic roots and how it saves the complications for the sonic dressing. Hear for yourself.
Forever Wolves is featured on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 