Hunter Metts is Iconic on “Monochrome”
(Photo: Travis Shinn) Listening to Hunter Metts’ debut EP Monochrome made me wonder: what does Zach Bryan have that this guy doesn’t have? Nashville-based Metts writes great songs and has a hypnotic, Bon Iver-type voice. When people hear this new collection of songs, he could easily become our next breakthrough indie-folk sensation. Metts’ songs remind […]
Paul Nye is Brilliant on “Everybody Wants to Be an Adjective”
Minnesota-based artist/songwriter Paul Nye is a throwback to the days when artists like Dylan, The Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash & Young gave us albums that were exceptionally eclectic. Nye’s new album Songs Well-Traveled has echoes of those artists, plus Al Kooper’s organ whoosh and the guitar stylings of Jeff Beck and Bruce Cockburn. In […]
Courtney Farren Ponders “Will I Ever Love Me?”
(Photo: Garrett Borns) Some albums – like Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour – have enduring beauty. You enjoy listening to them from beginning to end, year after year. I’m sure that Courtney Farren’s new debut album Punchlines will likewise sound just as marvelous in 2034. On the strength of her songwriting alone, Farren is already in […]
Grete Creates Timeless Magic on “How Long”
The Lithuanian-born artist Grete now lives in Manchester, the city in northern England that gave us Oasis and Harry Styles. It’s refreshing to see a young artist like Grete, who doesn’t want to be confined by the bland “bedroom pop” stylings of many artists. Grete loves taking what she calls “nerdy” jazz chords and turning […]
talker Captures the Zeitgeist on “Everything is Something (I Never Saw Coming)”
On rare occasions, a song brilliantly captures a shared societal moment. LA artist talker’s new song “Everything is Something (I Never Saw Coming)” is an emotional distillation of what 2024 actually feels like (for the artist and for the rest of us, too). The song’s hook, sonic texture, and powerful lyrics add up to Song […]
Herine Is Radiant and Insightful on “Best Best Friend”
Herine is a Nashville-based artist whose real first name is Katherine. She used to go by “Kat”, but now uses the even catchier second half. Her music is a reminder that Nashville is now a pop mecca, not just a country music town. The artist’s latest single “Best Best Friend” features an exquisite melody and […]
Jaryn Jones is Astonishing on New EP “Angles”
Every now and then I hear an artist who registers a 9.9 on the Wow! Meter – and Nashville’s Jaryn Jones is the newest to make the club. (Jaryn is pronounced like “Aaron” with a J, by the way.) Her music meshes the breathtaking beauty of great composers like Stephen Sondheim and Alan Menken with […]
Ships Have Sailed Get Pensive on “Walking Into Walls”
California duo Ships Have Sailed have a new single called “Walking Into Walls.” It belongs in the closing credits of a major motion picture. Ships Have Sailed is the brainchild of vocalist and guitarist Will Carpenter, usually configured as a duo with drummer Art Andranikyan. Although most people consider the phrase “that ship has sailed” […]
Stephanie Michelle Mesmerizes on “Waves”
There used to be a radio station in L.A. that dubbed itself “The Quiet Storm”, playing hypnotic-and-melodic songs by artists like Brenda Russell and Regina Belle. If that format still exists, Stephanie Michelle’s song “Waves” would fit right in. It’s elegant and unforgettable. Michelle is a Detroit songwriter who sings her own compositions, but isn’t […]
Carey Latham Weathers the Storm on “I Don’t Drink Like I Used To”
Carey Latham is a songwriter who splits time between Nashville and the Gulf Coast. Her song “I Don’t Drink Like I Used To” is an emotional grabber that reminds me of Morgan Wallen’s best work. The song is about a person who “doubles down” on drinking after a series of personal tragedies. And the accompanying […]
