Jesse Redwing sounds like the real thing, and Last Night lands with the kind of grit that makes every other blues cut feel overly polished. The track arrives like a fresh discovery you swear you should have heard years ago.
Folk
Derek Hoke turns “Southern Moon” into the kind of song that sounds like a sleeper hit the second it starts. The title alone feels too good to ignore, and the melody lands with easy, immediate confidence.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones lock in with Flow with It (You Got Me Feeling Like), and the groove lands like a neon sign turning on after dark. Horns blaze, the vocal bites, and the whole thing feels too alive to ignore right now.
JD McPherson turns "BLOODHOUND ROCK" into the kind of cut that grabs you by the collar and keeps grinning. The song sounds freshly unearthed, but it lands like a current obsession on first spin.
Jalen Ngonda sounds like the kind of singer people spend all week pretending they discovered first. “Why I Try” arrives with enough soul and confidence to feel instantly essential, the sort of cut that grabs the room before the first chorus lands.
The Teskey Brothers turn “Crying Shame” into the kind of find that stops a scrolling thumb cold. The song feels immediate, like it already belongs in the year’s best-kept-secret pile.
Devon Gilfillian turns Here & Now (Live) into a wake-up call with a pulse. The performance lands like a fresh favorite, all grit, lift, and zero filler.
The Dip turn Sure Don't Miss You into the kind of soul cut that sounds like it already owns the room. The hook lands fast, the chorus sticks, and the whole thing feels too polished to ignore right now.
Anderson East sounds like he walked in late, tuned the room by instinct, and still stole the whole night with “All on My Mind.” The single feels immediate and unpolished in the best way, like a new favorite already wearing in beautifully.
Super Doppler delivers Moonlight Anthems like a fresh late-night signal you somehow catch just in time. The title track feels built for anyone craving a bigger, brighter chorus on a weekday afternoon.
Colter Wall arrives with “Sleeping on the Blacktop” sounding like a frontier anthem that somehow lands fully formed on first listen. The track feels immediate, lean, and way bigger than its runtime.
Karl S. Williams hits hard with Blood to Give, a cut that sounds urgent, lived-in, and bigger than its runtime. Blues doesn’t feel archival here; it feels like the thing everyone should be hearing right now.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats turn Thank You into the kind of song that sneaks up on a crowded room and suddenly owns it. The chorus hits like a door flung open, and the timing feels perfect for anyone who wants a soul-song with real grit.
Ray Bonneville turns “Good Times” into the kind of discovery that feels overdue and immediate at once. The track lands with the confidence of a song already beating out everything around it.
My favorite Folk songs from the past year.
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Watchhouse and “Hey Stranger” land like a fresh secret worth keeping. The track feels instantly essential, with the kind of quiet confidence that makes you hit play twice before breakfast.
Chris Zehnder sounds like he already has a crowd, and "Goin' Through the Motions" lands like the cut everyone suddenly knows by heart. A title like that can feel disposable; here, it feels sharp, current, and a little too relatable.
Gill Landry slips "Berlin" into the kind of lane that instantly feels necessary: weathered, sharp, and oddly fresh. The song lands like a new favorite from a catalog you somehow missed, and it asks for a replay before the chorus even settles.
James McMurtry lands “Ain’t Got a Place” like a fresh warning shot. The song feels essential because it cuts through the morning noise with plainspoken grit and zero fluff.
Twin Bandit’s “Rosalyn” feels like the kind of track people quietly pass along before the blogs catch up. A hushed, rootsy glow and a sharp hook make it an easy favorite right now.
Cordovas and “All I Found” arrive sounding like a record you somehow missed until now, which is exactly why it matters. The song feels immediate, confident, and alive enough to stop a scroll, a commute, or a half-finished coffee.
The Last Revel hit the sweet spot with “Blind in the Fray,” a track that sounds instantly vital and oddly familiar at once. The hook lands like a road sign in the dark, and the whole thing feels ready for repeat plays before the first chorus even cools.
Brandi Carlile’s “The Eye” lands like a dispatch from the front porch after the storm has already started. The song feels immediate, the kind of cut that makes the rest of the day sound a little too small.
Hiss Golden Messenger turns “Jenny of the Roses” into the kind of song that sneaks onto your day and refuses to leave. M.C. Taylor sounds lived-in, but the hook lands bright and immediate, like a track already climbing every playlist worth having.
