Right, so we’ve been through some pretty random lists now. Most of those songs were quite up tempo, and these difficult days between Christmas and new years beg for something warm, deep, fuzzy and fireplace like. So , for round 5 of our countdown to 2012: let’s slow things down a bit; Let’s do acoustic.
Acoustic guitar players are a difficult breed. Not talking about the average hipster playing ‘Wonderwall’ in the park, while strumming about two chords. I’m talking about the people who are able to silence entire crows by a few strums on their guitar. There are few things less pure than that. So without further ado, a couple of songs from ’11 we’d actually like to hear in parks.
[youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ4s3G7hgR4[/youtube]
Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again
Like a couple of artists on earlier lists, Michael Kiwunaka is also on the BBC’s radar and was named to the shortlist of the Sound of 2012 somewhat earlier this month. Even though his more upbeat debut ‘Tell Me A Tale’ was a complete whirlwind of fun and nostalgia, ‘Home Again’ was the home run so far. What is really noticable is this smokey deep voice on a relatively young musician. Which, in ballads, is always, ALWAYS, a good thing.
[youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-TMl5oCRjk[/youtube]
Laura Marling – Sophia
There are few things as pure as Laura Marling records. This year marked the release of her 3rd full LP ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’, which of course is completely unreal number for a 21-year old folk singer. Sophia starts of as a typical Marling song, slow guitar play supports the incredibly mature voice we’ve come to love. But something is brewing in the land of Laura Marling, something different than what we’ve heard before. A step in a new direction, because the song builds on and on towards an almost country rythmn. And to be honest: love it.
[youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzzCthKw_C0[/youtube]
Ben Howard – Old Pine
English surfer Ben Howard has been quite the phenomenon for a couple of years now. Howard often plays his guitar which is laying flat on his lap, plucking the strings in such a way that makes his sound very unique. When his debut LP ‘Every Kingdom’ came out, more and more people started to notice the creative harmonious songs, and it actually popped into the UK’s top 10 charts. Old Pine is one of the finest from the album starting reletively quiet and generating more and more heat towards the end.
[youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI_pPEysgYQ[/youtube]
Marcus Foster – I Was Broken
Another Englishman and another debut. Marcus Foster‘s album ‘The Nameless Path’ came out in september but wasn’t all like the herefore mentioned. It seems like Foster hasn’t quite got the hang of the style he wants to play in, and just horses around with all kinds of rock and folk influenced genres. We hope he sticks with songs like ‘I Was Broken’, one of the most heartfelt songs last year had to offer. And for the love of all that is holy: please don’t let that vampire playing actor sing this song again.
[youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzg9cBAAtLs[/youtube]
The Tallest Man On Earth – Weather Of A Killing Kind
There has to be someone older on this list right? Or at least someone from outside the UK. Swede Kristian Matsson is probably the most well known folk singer in this day and age. His virtuoso guitar playing and incredibly raspy voice, often wrongly compared to Dylan (ridiculous, it’s twice as good) make his songs more recognizable than any other folk/country singer. Altough he didn’t release an album this year, Weather Of A Willing Kind, a typical TTMOA song, was on a compilation album. Glad it was. How could one survive a year without this geniusness?
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