Valley Maker

Valley Maker, 2010’s self-titled debut from South Carolina’s Austin Crane, passed me by. Luckily, thanks to the internet, gems don’t stay hidden for long. Various sources have pointed me towards Yes I Know I’ve Loved This World, the follow up to the S/T album, and subsequent exploration both releases has convinced me that Valley Maker deserves a much wider recognition. If you like your folk music thoughtful and packed with emotion and meaning, this is the man for you. Don’t let my waxing lyrical sway you, have a listen below and make up your own mind.

Bird Courage

Māia Manu,from Brooklyn’s folk trio Bird Courage, came into the world via a successful Kickstarter campaign. The album, a hearty collection of indie-folk songs somewhere along the lines of Hey Marseilles, is well worth your time. Also check out their cover of Stars’ ‘Your Ex-Lover is Dead’

Tyra Lennie

Beyond Misty Pines, the debut EP from singer songwriter Tyra Lennie, is a lovely little release. Lennie’s songs are gentle but pack a surprising punch, conjuring all the images of Canada’s natural beauty to convey the comforting notion of returning home.

Jenna Murphy

A slightly poppier entry here, New Jersey’s Jenna Murphy has a luscious sound. It’s hard to nail down an exact genre (there are acoutics bits but also piano and drums and so on). There aren’t many details available online but it’s an album worth your time. Although a variety of instruments are used across the album, each song is driven by the vocals, with her strong voice allowed to take centre stage. Strangers is available for just $3 on Bandcamp.

Rue Royale

Another Kickstarter success, Remedies Ahead by Rue Royale, an Anglo-American husband and wife pair based in Nottingham, is something of an attention grabber. The album explores life and relationships with a beautiful fragility, with the often sparse arrangements giving a highly personal feel that seems a result of the relationship between the members, a bond that allows an intimacy both lovely and haunting.

“You pull me like a string, you pull me right in two, you put me out to the darkness and pull me back to you,
You pull me like a string, you pull me right in two, You cause me to go blind yet I still look for you.”

Would this lyric, from the track ‘Pull Me Like a String’, have the same effect (or even have been written) without this connection?

See you in December!

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