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Best Folk Music Blog & Promotion

Joyland Finds Grace in Uncertainty with ‘Mysterious Ways’

Posted on 14 February 2025

Faith is rarely a straight road, and in Mysterious Ways, the up-and-coming genre-fluid evocateur Joyland trails its winding paths with a diaphanous acoustic score that filters spirituality through the lens of Americana folk.

Vulnerability pours from the vocal notes, cascading into hushed guitar rhythms so quiescent they resound like whispered secrets. The candour in the lyrics flows effortlessly, while the female backing vocals layer against a honeyed timbre that falls between the magnetism of Cash, Cohen, and Waits.

Known for bending genres to their will, Joyland thrives in contrast. Their music oscillates between soulful folk gospel and high-octane rock, never adhering to expectations but always delivering with raw emotional intensity. With Mysterious Ways, they strip things back to explore faith, fortitude, and the weight of the unknown, proving that their sonic range stretches from raucous to reverent with equal potency.

When the lap steel strings join, the track reaches an aching crescendo before salvation and consolation envelop the release, offering the reassurance that the right path is always within reach. While some tracks preach, Mysterious Ways simply speaks, offering listeners a place to find their own meaning in its echoes.

Mysterious Ways is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Valley of Salt – ‘What Did You See’: Gospel Born from Strings and Soul

Posted on 3 February 2025
Valley of Salt

‘What Did You See’, the standout single from Valley of Salt’s LP, Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness: The Story of John the Baptist, is less a song and more a visceral awakening. Conceived by Brian Stemetzki, produced by Marty Willson-Piper, and bolstered by contributions from the Polyphonic Spree, the Fort Smith Arkansas Symphony, and Dallas gospel singers, the single is a testament to what happens when spirituality and artistry collide with unrelenting force.

The folk-leaning singer-songwriter accessibility is undeniable, but it’s in the aching emotion of the composition’s grandiosity that Valley of Salt takes their place as one of the most criminally overlooked acts in the contemporary rock landscape. As the classical strings slice through the earthy timbre of the production, you’d be forgiven for feeling your emotional defences buckle.

Stemetzki’s guitar work—featuring vintage 6- and 12-string Rickenbackers and a 1972 Fender Strat—lays the foundation for the composition’s humanity, while the orchestral flourishes and gospel harmonies elevate it to the celestial. Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness doesn’t just recount a spiritual saga—it wrestles with faith, doubt, and redemption in a way that resonates universally, beyond doctrines and ideology.

‘What Did You See’ embodies the soul of the project, balancing cerebral gospel storytelling with vocal vulnerability. With sense-swooning choruses and a production that leans as much on emotional resonance as on technical skill, Valley of Salt offers an open hand to those who dare to grasp the depth of its art and spirituality.

Valley of Salt’s LP, Voice of One Crying In The Wilderness- The Story Of John the Baptist, will be available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp from February 3rd. Discover more ways to connect with the band via their official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Saint Senara’s ‘Lost Lisa Marie’: Where Sothern Gothic Folk Blues and Ghosts Collide

Posted on 2 February 2025
Saint Senara

Saint Senara’s latest single, Lost Lisa Marie, demonstrates the award-winning singer-songwriter duo’s unrelenting commitment to crafting southern gothic folk with depth and distinction. Since their 2020 inception, their evolution has led to a sound that combines blues rock’s raw intensity, folk’s piercingly poetic imagery, and the atmospheric richness of Americana.

The haunting arrangement in Lost Lisa Marie invites listeners into a vivid sonic panorama. Blues rock guitars, distorted crescendos, and angular riffs collide to create an audibly tactile experience. As the powerhouse chanteuse’s vocals re-emerge over the brash blues-rock climax, her delivery cuts through the chaos with grace, grounding the intensity in rich, emotive clarity.

Far removed from the pitfalls of pastiche, Saint Senara imbue their sound with authenticity and power, allowing Lost Lisa Marie to unfold like a narrative in motion, leaving space for reflection as much as visceral connection.

For fans of blues-soaked Americana and raw poetic intensity, this is a track that will leave your pulse racing out of rhythm and your finger hovering over the replay button. Off the back of their successful headline shows in 2024, Lost Lisa Marie is both a standalone triumph and a stepping stone towards what promises to be an uncompromising future.

Lost Lisa Marie will be available to stream on all platforms from January 31st. Find your preferred way to listen via the band’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Narcissist Cookbook is the ultimate artisan of raw acoustic punk spoken word poetry in ‘The Library at the Very Bottom of This Place’

Posted on 29 January 2025
MYTH: Side Two by The Narcissist Cookbook

On The Library at the Very Bottom of This Place, from MYTH: Side Two, the Stirling-hailing troubadour of raw rancour, The Narcissist Cookbook (Matt Johnston) delivered an acoustic punk sermon that cuts right to the core.

Opening with ragged, chopped guitar chords, the track clears a barren stage for Johnston’s raw spoken-word poetry to take centre stage. Each word furls like smoke above the sparse instrumentation, leaving space for the jagged lyricism to pierce through and embed itself in the listener’s psyche.

Marked with defiance and rage, Johnston’s delivery ensures every ounce of sentiment lands with weight, echoing the poetic intensity of Neutral Milk Hotel, Amigo the Devil, and ROAR. Stripped back to its raw bones, the track’s minimalist instrumentation heightens the visceral connection, proving that less can be infinitely more when the narrative is this evocative.

Johnston may have only developed their histrionic half-spoken vocal style after losing their singing voice, but even away from traditional semblances of harmony, the track leaves nothing to be desired in the way of euphony.

With nearly 100 sold-out headline tour dates across the US and Europe, 30 million+ streams, and acclaim as one of Scotland’s most successful cult artists, Johnston’s ability to create art that defies expectation is unparalleled.

Stream and purchase The Library at the Very Bottom of This Place on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Open the gateway to sanctuary with the live in-studio recording of Ryan Calkins’ ‘Haven’

Posted on 26 January 2025

The live in-studio version of Haven by Ryan Calkins, which premiered on January 13th alongside its official video, is a diaphanously commanding performance that instantly invites you into his sanctuary. His voice is enough to lead you to believe in natural talent; the way the emotion floods through his honeyed, warm, and assuring—yet not self-assured—vocals as he lets his listeners into his ‘haven’ is enough to breathe warmth into the coldest of souls.

Accompanied solely by an acoustic guitar that rings around his expansively panoramic harmonies, Calkins uses his magnetic vocal style to beguile while his lyrics spill the ink of a sentimental love-drunk diary entry. The simplicity of the arrangement only amplifies the raw authenticity in his sound, offering an unfiltered glimpse into an artist whose music feels like a direct extension of his heart.

Growing up in rural Massachusetts among porch-side, campfire, and kitchen musicians, Calkins was surrounded by the kind of organic artistry that shaped his goal to write and perform honest music. He creates songs that give listeners the words they may be struggling to find for themselves, all while maintaining a grounded sense of humility. Now preparing to record an EP and performing live whenever he can, Calkins proves with Haven why his journey deserves to be followed.

Stream the live in-studio video of ‘Haven’ on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find resolve through the rhythm and lyrical reflections in Flame’s seminal alt-indie release, ‘Heat’

Posted on 21 January 2025

The standout single ‘Heat’ from Flame’s alt-rock EP, Pride of the Lamb, which paints in colours from all across the alternative spectrum, ensues with a barrage of folkish rhythmic intensity before establishing a melody in the arcanely beguiling atmosphere.

The seraphic on the senses release transcends sound and moves into the remit of transformative meditation through the ethereal timbre of the lead vocals which refuse to bleed into the instrumentals in true shoegaze fashion as they relay mantric messages, guiding the listener towards transformation.

Flame lights fires through the trailblazing authenticity within their sonic signature, which pairs the textural motifs of grunge with the cathartic consolation of melodic rock as they build insurmountable walls of sound, brick by brick, note by note, while sharing a singular vision of leading the listener away from their ego.

Hit play and feel something primal within you wake in the presence of the Edinburgh-based alt-rock powerhouse who have exactly what it takes to stand at the vanguard of the post-shoegaze revolution in sound.

With one of the most distinct voices on the indie rock circuit, Flame is perceptibly in the minority of artists who favour their expression over commercial appeal, but there’s nothing within their debut EP that says they can’t have both; it’s pure evocative perfection.

Stream Heat as part of the 5-track EP on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nottingham’s Eleanor McGregor rendered the pain of diehard romantic reverie into her latest acoustic folk single, Muscle Memory

Posted on 17 January 2025
Eleanor McGregor

Following an intro that resounds with the same evocative melodicism as a José González single, the latest release from Nottingham UK’s Elanor McGregor instantly disarms with its euphonic acoustic guitar timbres. With a vivaciously expressive vocal style which will instantly enamour fans of Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers, McGregor veers into eccentricity without ever coming close to touching twee cliché tropes through the moody undercurrents that mellifluously flow beneath her narrative lyricism.

Deeper into the single, Muscle Memory picks up hints of acoustic punk in the same vein as Neutral Milk Hotel while McGregor never loses her grip on her authenticity which has seen her garnering praise from BBC Introducing and launching her debut album in Nottingham’s Rough Trade.

Within this single, mundane moments transpire into an observatory of poetry while put in context with the romantic longing, which proves romanticism still lives and breathes in the souls of those who know the pain of diehard romanticism.

Muscle Memory will hit all major streaming platforms on January 17 as part of the Muscle Memory EP. Find your preferred way to listen and connect with the artist via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Romanticism blossoms in Devin Kyle Leslie’s alt-country folk outpour of affection, Beautiful Rose

Posted on 15 January 2025

Devin Kyle Leslie’s standout single, Beautiful Rose, reimagines classic folk songwriting through an orchestral lens, creating a soulful and tender ode to unflinching affection. With a vocal presence that carries the weight of profound sincerity, Leslie’s performance is cradled by ethereal reverberations, adding swathes of soul to the Americana-tinged alt-country composition.

The track flows with mellifluous organic progressions that echo the artistry of legends like Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell, while still carving its own intimate niche. Romanticism flourishes in the alt-country vignette, where every note and lyric feels imbued with Leslie’s deep emotional investment. The orchestral swells underpinning the folk melodies elevate the song beyond its roots as Leslie’s sharp social commentary adds another emotive dynamic to the bitter-sweet instant classic ballad.

Leslie’s ability to marry classic influences with a fresh vision proves his artistry isn’t confined to tradition, resulting in a track that resonates with timeless warmth while showcasing the potential for reinvention within folk music.

Beautiful Rose is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pampoo sang the gospel of gratitude in ‘Simple Days’

Posted on 14 January 2025

Pampoo’s seminal release, ‘Simple Days’, filters contentment through honeyed R&B harmonies, allowing euphoria to rise on rhythmic waves and cascade into soul crooning that gently yields to gospel-esque lyrical sermons. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t just feel good; it creates a comforting refuge from hectic modernity. Their message is simple—if you’re content with your lot in life, you’re on the only rich list that really matters.

This collaboration began as a spark of friendship between longtime confidants Jim Vincent and Chris Blatherwick, who reignited their creative synergy by swapping musical snippets between Albany, NY and Connecticut. When they drew producer and old friend Ted Swan back into the fold, they brought new textures to their sound. Balancing alternative rock, folk, Americana, hip-hop, and R&B influences, they shape something that transcends standard genre boundaries.

Within ‘Simple Days’, mindfully motivational rap verses brush shoulders with youthful backing vocals that lift innocence into the spotlight. This evolving embodiment of soul helps you see the beauty in your day-to-day existence, reminding you that even the quiet moments hold their own warmth.

Pampoo knows precisely how to let soundscapes shimmer with authenticity. ‘Simple Days’ isn’t a disposable good-vibes anthem; it’s a euphonic act of enlightenment that encourages you to find wealth in life’s simplest corners. With an EP in the making, there’s plenty more sonic serotonin to come from Pampoo.

Simple Days will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from January 14th; find your preferred way to listen and connect with the artist via their official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Isiah & the New People became the defining voice in modern folk with ‘Did You Run?’

Posted on 11 January 2025

‘Did You Run?’ by Isiah & The New People opens with Isiah’s natural finesse as a rhythmatist, his skill on the fretboard drawing you in before the Western psych melodies begin to swell and pirouette with the kind of synergy that only comes from a collective with a shared artistic pulse. The union between the instrumental energy and vocal emotion is undeniable; it’s a back-and-forth exchange that feels both intimate and uncontainable.

With some of the most affecting vocals heard from Isiah & The New People so far, the trembled timbres of vibrato are flawlessly pitched, amplifying the bittersweet poignancy of the questioning narrative. The affection that drives every progression offers a moving undercurrent, even amidst the uncertainty that saturates the vignette.

Following the success of their debut EP Boxes, which set a strong tone for 2024, Isiah & The New People have gone from strength to herculean strength. ‘Did You Run?’ is another clear step in their rise, demonstrating their ability to merge heartfelt storytelling with immeasurably talented artistry.

As we tentatively step into 2025, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Isiah & The New People are gearing up to be one of the most promising breakthrough acts of the year.

Did You Run hit the airwaves on December 28th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast