Folk/country. The third album from a rising Americana artist. The album has a beautifully produced, warm sound, like what you’d hope for in folk. Banjo, harmonica, guitar, piano, drums—but what you’ll remember about this album is the lead singer’s voice, a sweet Southern tenor. Most of the songs are standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus constructions. Simple, unpretentious stuff—the sound isn’t so small that it feels minimalist or quiet, but not so big that it gets cheesy. Or at least, not too often. Give it a try.

My favorites: 5, 1, 3

1) “Ride It Out” (3:22): Classic folk style. Really warms up at 0:55. The brightest, most optimistic song on the album.
2) “Savannah Rose” (4:55): Lots of harmonica. A song about Carolina: very country.
3) “Bring It All In” (5:37): Lovely intro with a heavy vocal presence. Guitar reverbing in the background is working well.
4) “Last Stand” (3:35): Snappier background makes it harder to pay attention to the lyrics.
5) “Alarms” (4:19): Great chorus. Very methodical, heavy on the downbeat. “When you broke into my head, oh where were my alarms?”
6) “Sapphire Blue” (5:19): A pledge “to be your man the best that I can.” Another very methodical beat that builds into a good chorus.
7) “Dashboard” (3:38): Richer background here. Talk of counting cards, casinos, dashboards of cars.
8) “Rosa” (6:19): Intro unfolds slowly with the harmonica. Kind of sprawling, but also possibly the most heartfelt song on the album, about a complex relationship with a woman. “If I know Rosa, I’ll read between the lines / The tales she tells are taller than the pines.”

--Mr. Tumnus