This edition of LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks brings to you stunning country tracks, indie-folk tracks, and more. The list features artists Eric Osterhout, Tim Feeney, Rodney Atkins, and more.
Eric Osterhout - Dive Bar Love Story
Starting off with a heartfelt, vulnerable guitar strumming, ‘Dive Bar Love Story’ by Eric Osterhout captures the loneliness that comes into our lives at some or the other point, a loneliness that has us reminiscing of all the good times. The instrumentation leans towards a country-rock sound, capturing immense emotion, vulnerability through its delicate layering of guitar, drums, and pianos. Eric’s vocals are rich, and a kind of richness that comes through honesty in the storytelling. Lyrically, the song captures how someone comes along and they miraculously impact your life through just one single night, and you find yourself reminiscing about that single night for a long time to come.
Tim Feeney - Jimmy Mckeon, 1864
Diving into a lived tale of sacrifice, braveness, and perseverance, ‘Jimmy Mckeon, 1864’ by Tim Feeney will have you grooving and singing, and at the same time it will share with you an incredible story. The song is fast-paced, and takes from the folk traditions from the European subcontinent, particularly the Celtic islands. The bagpipe is a lovely part of the instrumentation, and it immediately lifts up your mood. The song feels like a celebration of life, complete with its joys, its hardships, and the way we move from the difficult times. Lyrically, the song captures Feeney’s own family history as he narrates how his great-great grandfather, in order to escape the Irish Famine, navigated the seas and reached America for a better life.
Rodney Atkins - True South
Rugged, gritty in the best possible way, ‘True South’ by Rodney Atkins – an absolute star in the country music scene – really does give you a picture of the South without needing you to have ever travelled there. The instrumentation sees an interesting mix of authentic country sound with a contemporary twist to it. The typical banjo, guitars give it that true country sound and alongside this the electronic beats give the song a newfound edge. Atkins’ vocals are simply incomparable, with their amazing depth and richness and their distinct country tuning. The harmonisations that come in the later part of the song, give the song that larger than life feel. There is no way you won’t absolutely be listening to this song on repeat.
Audra Watt - Catchphrases
Gentle, shimmering guitars starting off the track, ‘Catchphrases’ by Audra Watt captures the gentle, emotional side of country music. The instrumentation is simple and not overly complicated, which helps with the light to be on Audra’s vocals and the story that she aims to convey to her listeners. Light guitars, grounding, driving drum patterns, are the skeletal framework of the song’s instrumentation. The guitars in the song sound simple but the layers have actually been intricately woven together. Lyrically, the song is about how despite a person’s absence, their habits, their phrases have a way to live on through those they leave behind.
Wytold & Tolk - Or Will You
Surprising you with a stunning violin playing right at the very start, ‘Or Will You’ by Wytold & Tolk brings to you a soundscape that you will find nowhere else. The song’s sound very interestingly mixes classical, folk traditions with a modern electronic, bass driven sound. The violins in the song are the highlight of the instrumentation framework in the song, and they don’t stay stagnant and instead reinvent their sound as the song progresses. The vocals feel dreamy, like they are coming from a far away land, bringing to an old sound waves of the new world. A truly unique song, the song holds in it the elements that will give yous something new to look out for each time you listen to it.
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