These LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks paint vivid pictures with simple language and melody; featuring The Breakman Holiday singers, Nancy Carey Johnson, Queens Fool, and more!
1. The Breakman Holiday Singers – Boom Boom
Just in time for the Fourth of July comes The Breakman Holiday Singers’ Boom Boom, a song that blends choral voices with pop-inspired instrumentals, giving the song a funk that’s hard to ignore. This is the kind of track whose patriotism stays subtle enough not to be overbearing, yet clear and straightforward enough to make its mark, without a question. As it blends majestic imagery with the little joys of celebrating with family, it warms your heart to be reminded of the fact that real love of one’s country comes from wearing “all the same colours” and staying united, despite any differences. Listen here!
2. Nancy Carey Johnson – Guano Loco
Opening with a ukulele section that sounds simple but is deceptively complicated with intertwined layers that fill the air, Nancy Carey Johnson’s Guano Loco serves as the introduction to her latest EP, Shine Your Light. This ukulele continues as a foundation through the track, lending it a distinct, intimate Americana feel that warms you from the inside. And there, you’ve fallen into the exact trap that the song warns you about: letting your guard down around someone who may be gorgeous, but “batshit crazy” regardless. Once this sits in your head, you can’t help but notice how the instruments’ pace starts sounding erratic, and Johnson’s voice starts carrying a hint of foreboding – listen here!
3. Queens Fool – Bourboncy
Queens Fool describes their sound as “blending guitar driven rock with Americana leaning roots storytelling,” and Bourboncy shows this fusion off to full effect. Distorted guitars open the track, soon giving way to rhythmic drums that don’t ask for your attention but command it anyway, and vocals that carry a bittersweet emotional weight that’s still infused with warmth. The song builds momentum slowly, always moving upwards rather than in a predictable structure that returns to energy only in the chorus. Energetic instrumentals and melancholy lyrics play with each other, creating an interesting contrast that’ll have you dancing to its beats while contemplating life. Check it out here!
4. Gardenback – Violent Streak
Gardenback’s debut release, Violent Streak, is stunningly clear in its direction and sonic identity. For a song with that name, its sound is anything but – delicate and shimmering strings lay a bed for the equally soft vocals to rest upon – and this opens up a world that invites you to imagine what surrounds it, and ask questions of it. A song that immediately transports you to twilight in an open meadow, it’s painted with nostalgia and a hope that’s so fragile, it’ll break with the slightest gust of wind. Gardenback blends indie-folk with dreampop with finesse and intention, and if this is their debut, they’re sure to go places. Give Violent Streak a listen here!
5. Ben Ripani – Runaways
Introducing Ben Ripani’s latest album, Pangea, is Runaways, a track whose production leans into restraint and subtlety, keeping things moving while ensuring everything remains grounded. The lyrics mirror this push-and-pull: the tension of wanting to say so much, but not knowing if it’s better to just keep it to yourself, with lines like “I miss the way it felt to walk into the room with you and know that there’s nobody else,” that build imagery with simple language that hits exactly where it needs to. As the folksy guitars and just-there drums swell and fall in perfect lockstep with the track’s emotional trajectory, Runaways has you looking forward to what’s coming next!
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