This edition of LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks features genre-bending artists such as Zachary Mason, Erik Rabasca and Skarnheim.
1. Erik Rabasca - Foolin’ Yourself
Erik Rabasca’s latest country-swing venture is a delightfully upbeat track, perfect to get your day started with. It layers variations of acoustic and electric guitars, creating a bespoke arrangement of speckled and smooth patterns atop a strong foundational bass. The twang of the electric guitar gives the vocals the perfect lift, while the arpeggiated mid-tone acoustic voicings maintain the overall arrangement’s flow and rhythm. Rabasca’s vocals aren’t too polished, maintaining a fresh, earthy charm, and when the harmony joins him, it brings a warm bounce of light, making you feel like joining in on the singing, especially with such clever lyrics. Check out the full track here-
2. Zachary Mason – Can’t Feel My Autumn
A smooth ripple over gentle tides, ‘Can’t Feel My Autumn’ is as captivating as it is calming. This is one of those tracks that lowers the cortisol levels, as it draws you deeper into the soundscape. The indie track gives a semi-acoustic, folksy vibe, with a touch of atmospheric synth, making this piece fall into a more genre-fluid category. It’s over 5 minutes long, but you barely feel the length. The guitar maintains a hypnotic, rhythmic strumming pattern that pulls you in, while the vocals gently guide you through the song's flow. The synth, independent of the guitar’s voicing, speaks an entirely different language, yet echoes the same sentiment as the vocals and guitar. Listen here-
3. Skarheim - Helvegr
Skarheim’s ‘Helvegr’ draws inspiration from dark hues and cinematic timbres to shape a unique arrangement into form. The artist draws you in slowly through the landscapes, taking you through rocky terrain and thigh-high grass. The song is kept at a gentle pace throughout with a mix of AI-assisted instrumentation and vocals. Thematically, the composition and lyrics are rooted in Nordic storytelling, featuring deep, gravelly bass notes, subtle drum patterns, and mystical flute voicings, all of which are scattered through the song’s cushiony atmospheric glaze. Amongst this quiet stratosphere, the vocals quietly emerge through the fog with almost whispered lyrics, as the two singers seamlessly blend back into the instrumentation. Especially, the female voicing sounds almost exactly like the flute at some points. It’s one of those tracks that takes you through smooth-shifting landscapes, even while you’re sitting quite still.
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