This edition of LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks is all about country variants, the retro sound, and the acoustics, and will have you appreciating real instruments. The list features artists Once Great Estate, Michellar, Steel & Velvet, and more.
Once Great Estate - The Hunter
A Southern American coded riff starting off the song, ‘The Hunter’ by Once Great Estate brings to you what they call the “Southern shoegaze.” Within the first few seconds alone you will realise that the song is trying to do something unique, something different with the sound of the South, as they blend genres. Lyrically, the song turns upside down the common hunter narrative and shows the hunter as the one who’s not coming home, instead of the hunted. There is an air of reckoning that this song undertakes, instead of being a black and white moral lesson. For themes you wouldn’t have heard being dealt with before, give this one a listen.
Michellar - We Both Can Fall
Starting off soft, slow, and oh so gently, with layers of guitars, ‘We Both Can Fall’ by Michellar is the embodiment of two people falling for each other despite the risks, despite the problems that might show up in the course of the relationship. The song will immediately want you to hold your partner and dance away, as you acknowledge the ups and downs of your relationship. The song goes through key changes which express a change in the mood as well, and then the key changes back to the normal one suggesting a resolution. In all the beauty that the song is, most importantly it is real, and does not provide a fully rosy idea of love.
Steel & Velvet - Orphan’s Lament
Expect the unexpected with Steel & Velvet’s latest ‘Orphan’s Lament’ with its unique vocal choices and unique instrumentation choices. The song has a classic French folk song sound, and to this has been added vocals that complement it perfectly, with its deep baritones and beautiful emotiveness. Listening to the song will make you think of being an audience to a contemporary take of an opera. The instrumentation is entirely dependent on acoustic guitars, and this is a good choice because the highlight of the track clearly is the vocals and the minimalistic instrumentation allows the vocals to take the space it needs. A production this unique needs to be on your listening list.
Tom Minor - Bring Back the Good Ol’ Boys
With a retro polish all over the track, ‘Bring Back the Good Ol’ Boys’ by Tom Minor has a very musical-like sound to it. The dramatic vocals, the harmonies, and equally dramatic, full of character instrumentation, are things that are typical of a musical, and the track inhabits all of these elements. What’s truly unique about the track is that at its surface it might seem a jolly song, but if you peel at its surface you will find that the song is quite the political commentary. It alludes to the common folk’s ability to be persuaded by the same old tricks, the same old mistakes, which allow the people in power to continue staying in power.
Falling into View - Things (That I Thought Might One Day Be Useful)
Warm and nostalgic, ‘Things (That I Thought Might One Day Be Useful)’ by Falling into View is the kind of sweet country-pop track that you didn’t know you needed. The song blends guitars that speak of the country, Americana sound and modern pop melodies. Lyrically, the song speaks of, both metaphorically and literally, holding onto the things that might be of use to use someday. This holding on then makes us look back and wonder if it really served that purpose. The song is grand in its simplicity, as it alludes to everyday things;things that are not out of our ordinary. Sweet, warm, and bittersweet, put this song on your stereo the next time you go for a drive.
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