Listening to Tempesst’s debut LP is like traveling by cool old van through the inner surreal landscapes, passing by cosmic canyons, giant flowers, sunsets on the beach, and mushroom clouds. There a lot going on around and you don’t know…
When the Drive-By Truckers kept us waiting three years for January’s The Unraveling, it was the longest gap yet between albums in their 20-plus year career. Now, just nine months later, they’re back with The New OK. This surprise new…
Three years after its initial release, She Owl’s Drifters EP continues to bewitch. And during these strange times one song in particular has taken on a new meaning – ‘Glass’ was written about isolation and the craving for human touch.…
After years of sonic adventure and leftfield swerves, Sufjan Stevens’ 2015 career highpoint Carrie & Lowell saw the restless songwriter drop anchor in the wake of his mother’s death. It’s barely-there arrangements cradled Stevens’ bleak grief with remarkably life-affirming results. I’m…
Sing Leaf may have the most appealing album name of the year. Earth in 2020 is a volatile and fragile place, perched precariously on the edge of disaster. Not here, Not Earth? That sounds like a welcome respite. So too…
Mark Willenborg is unvarnished country, through and through. Cut from the same cloth as greats like George Strait and Waylon Jennings, fans of classic country will feel right at home with the impending release of Cold Beer and Country Music…
Alexander Ellis, the man armed with a scorched guitar and a notebook full of troubled words and troubadours, is the man behind the Our Man In The Field monicker. This is a debut album that I’m so happy to have…
Bobbylene is the folk-pop lovechild of Bobby Katz and Marlene McCarthy. Two NYC-based musicians, they met while studying at NYU in respective jazz and classical programs. Now, they’re making slickly produced, heartfelt Americana as if they’ve been doing it for…
First, a disclaimer: Annie Dressner became a good friend after I first reviewed her for For Folk’s Sake, and I took part in her music video for ‘Pretend’, made under lockdown. Coffee At The Corner Bar is a continuing evolution…
Between the good and the bad, the past and the present, and conservation and alteration, Thomm Jutz lives in a dual-world of juxtaposition. Hence, his folk LP series, To Live in Two Worlds, fittingly split into two volumes. Volume Two…
Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz’ American Bardo begins with ‘Matterbloomlight (Revisited)’. Earlier this year, For Folk’s Sake premiered and praised the single for its complex, cyclical themes and the profundity of its arrangement. Now, much of the same can be…
On the song ‘Vigil’, Ruby McGrath-Lester sighs “I was going to write a song for you / I thought it’s the least that I could do / But I am too damn livid to even think anymore.” It’s lucky that…
Closeness can be a tall order, especially during the ongoing pandemic, but for Native Harrow Closeness is pretty much all there is. The clock is constantly moving ahead, but as singer Devin Tuel notes, “while the clock is moving, we can hold on…
Having filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for using ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ at his campaign events without seeking permission, Neil Young has helpfully suggested a different tune the US President’s re-election campaign might want to consider. ‘Looking For…
Borne of the same artistic ingenuity that has The National or Bear’s Den constantly evolving, Dan Sumner finds himself in a folk-rock foundation that’s twisted and turned time and again. Crafting and navigating through captivating, textured arrangements seems to come…
Yes, Key West singer-songwriter jefff’s stage name is written with three f’s. With that out of the way, it may now be elucidated that the Floridan artist is incorporating elements of reggae, funk, and folk into his music to communicate…
Dan Tuffy really made his splash with 2017’s Songs from Dan. Peppered with mystifying folk narration, the album garnered him praise that saw him tour throughout Australia and Europe. Relaxing from that busy schedule in light of a worldwide pandemic…
