I have never described a melody as homely before, but Doug Spears succeeded in making me feel homesick for a place I have never been in his latest single, Small Town Thing. The folk singer-songwriter and fifth-generation Florida storyteller offers enough warmth to tempt most listeners to leave the big smoke and nestle themselves into the slow rhythms of small-town living.
Against bright, temperate and emotively affecting acoustic guitars, Spears visualises a utopia of warmth, community and consistency. Images of courthouse squares, front-porch swings and neighbours helping neighbours come through without feeling saccharine. His voice carries the natural ease of someone who has spent more than 35 years earning audiences on festival, listening-room and house-concert circuits across Florida and beyond.
Through an effortlessly natural aura of soul and reverence for home, he exemplifies the best of Americana folk as his expressive acoustic-guitar flourishes allow honkytonk spirit to meet classical-guitar grace, giving Small Town Thing a gently burnished musicality that will earn him a new home on your playlists.
With comparisons to Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver and James Taylor already following his work, Spears proves why even songs rooted in a specific place can still feel universal. Even if we do not become his neighbour upon hitting play, the single is escapism in the sweetest form.
Small Town Thing is now available to stream on all major platforms. Find your preferred way to listen and connect with Doug Spears via his official website.
Review by Amelia Vandergast