Niall Summerton is catchy and melancholy on his recent Wish You Could Speak.  This sad boy indie folk finds its roots in Conor Oberst, brought up through adaptations by Alex G and Kurt Vile.  We also hear evidence of Belle and Sebastian or Wilco’s Yankee Foxtrot, especially in the tempo design.  Summerton injects some peppy rythmic appeal to contrast the compositions somber resolutions.  The melody is equally uninspired, to be fair.  But that sad boy appear is the musical melatonin we sometimes crave, perfect to soundtrack a long reflective journey.  After all, it’s undeniably catchy, meant for a signature moment to yourself through your ear bud.  That personal revelation you cherish and capsule. The calmness that comes with entering a new age. 

We were drawn to the rare vocal talents of Jérémie Jaussaud.  His new singe. Performing under Not In Your Circle, we were captivated by their new single Not Alone.  An inventive composition with progressive flair, it parallels the artists unique delivery.  Jaussaud displays impressive control over his trademark vibrato.  Her masterfully uses his voice as both a vessel for the lyrical poetry and to paint the sonic atmosphere with echoed swells.  Stylistically we hear evidence of Grizzly Bear and icon Jeff Buckley.  An exciting find from the French indie underground.

Dave Warne is simple, elegant, and charming on The Same.  Simple in arrangment, but we’re careful not to dismiss the impressive calculated finger picking and tight perfect harmonies, The Same is executed masterfully.  This is how we imagine Jack Johnson might present if he covered Daniel Johnston.  It feels good but in an unconvential manner with indie sensibility, as opposed to bonfire reggae influenced beach jams.  The Same is ideal for your somber chill bliss soundtrack, plug it in.  Nice work Dave. 

A.M Stotts lets it loose on his recent Soul Shaker.  A passionate alt country banger, his raw inspired vocal grabs you from the first verse.  You can trace this dusty troubadour rock back to The Rolling Stones, through adaptations by Springsteen before it got pulled into the indie sphere by notables like Ryan Adams, Strand of Oaks, and most successfully Chris Stapleton.  Slightly nostalgic, A.M. Stotts has his own signature appeal and subtle compositional tweaks to make this sound his own.  That’s the beauty of Americana, you can hear their history and fill in the blanks around the lyrical offerings.  The spirit of the voice behind the mic is even more important than the song itself.  They can take any song and make it their own, by how they see it and how its delivered.  Music, conjured through, but not by.

Niall Summerton, Not In Your Circle, Dave Warne, and A.M. Stotts are currently featured on our Indie Underrated Playlist.