Looking at new releases from The Stephen Stanley Band, Caroline Cotter, Van William, Brian Fallon and First Aid Kit.
Scroll down for a Spotify playlist of all the tracks mentioned.
“Jimmy & The Moon,” The Stephen Stanley Band. Canadians have a reputation of being swell folks, and based on his latest record, Toronto’s Stephen Stanley certainly sounds like the type of guy you’d like to hang out with -- his is an engaging brand of rock for grown-ups, awash with E Street flourishes and head-bobbing harmonies. That’s not to say it’s generic: Just the opposite, it’s a refreshing blend of Tom Petty-like sardonic storytelling (“The Troubadour’s Song”), cheerful absurdity (“Birthday Clown”), and, especially on the lilting title track, a certain theatricality that places you squarely in his offbeat world. It’s a place you definitely want to be. LISTEN TO: “Jimmy & The Moon”
“Home On The River,” Caroline Cotter. Cotter’s voice is an amazing instrument -- the Rhode Island native has a smooth, tremulous soprano that’s a perfect fit for her folksy, acoustic Americana. But it’s what she does with it that’s the real wonder: From evocative whispers and half-sung asides to breathy yelps and dreamy almost-yodels, she imbues her material with an amazing amount of real-time sincerity and emotional heft. As for the lyrics, she brings a clear-eyed view of our fractured society (“Peace of Mind”), our ties to our pasts (“Home On The River”) and, on tracks like “”Hey Mama” and “When I Think of You,” the complexities of family relationships. By the time you get to her album-closing a capella cover of Woody Guthrie’s “My Peace,” you’ll feel like you’ve found a new friend. LISTEN TO: “Found”
“Countries,” Van William. Bruce Springsteen has said of being a professional musician, “There’s a reason they call it playing.” Not that there aren’t plenty of artists who make it sound like work, but Van William seems to subscribe to Bruce’s approach: On his solo debut, the former frontman for the Norwegian band Waters sounds like he’s having a joyous time of things, inserting a jubilant pop sensibility into buoyant folk rock. On leadoff track “Before I Found You,” William’s spirited vocals, snappy percussion and well-timed shouts propel what could have been an otherwise typical new-love ditty into the stratosphere, while soaring background vocals and toe-tapping, hand-clapping choruses power old-fashioned rockers like “Fourth of July.” William does get contemplative on quieter tracks like the melancholic “The Country” and the dreamy album closer “Taking Love” -- and what do you know, he’s good at those too. LISTEN TO: “Revolution”
“Sleepwalkers,” Brian Fallon. The Gaslight Anthem frontman is back, and he’s sounding a lot like his former (and future?) band on his second solo LP -- Fallon’s gravelly yowl is in fine form as he powers through a set of his refreshingly sincere, change-the-world brand of rock ‘n’ roll, replete with his usual striking imagery of downbound trains, movie screens, ferris wheels and London umbrellas. (OK, the umbrellas, on the moody, magical “Watson,” might be a new one.) He also takes on eternity, with the hereafter taking center stage on tracks like “Proof of Life” (“As long as you know how I loved you, that would be the proof of life when I am gone”) and the sweetly strummed album closer, “See You on the Other Side.” For heartfelt rock with a punkish energy and a literary bent, Brian still can’t be beat. LISTEN TO: “Forget Me Not”
“Ruins,” First Aid Kit. On “Ruins,” the Swedish sister duo of Klara and Johanna Söderberg provide a fitting follow-up to their 2014 breakout “Stay Gold,” trading verses and sharing harmonies on track after mesmerizing track. These include the early single “Fireworks,” a lush ‘60s-style ballad, and a fine foray into alt-country on tracks like “Postcard,” a twangy take on what love leaves behind (“I wasn't looking to change, I'll never be the same,” Klara intones) and “It’s A Shame,” a sad, galloping take on longing and loneliness that recalls Linda Ronstadt in her ‘70s prime. The duo even dips into music hall nostalgia on the lilting “Hem of Her Dress,” a tale of “too much whiskey, too much honey, too much wine,” complete with a singalong ending that sparks images of bawling barflies and hoisted beer steins. Your grandparents’ folk music this isn’t. LISTEN TO: “Ruins”