Niamh Regan – Music
Genre: Indie Folk, Folk
There’s a lot of heartbreak on your radio station nowadays. In fact, radio programmes have always liked it this way. It sells even more than songs about wealth or those about sex.
But the people who have truly had their hearts broken can’t listen to those anymore. It’s not that these tunes help memories flood back in. No, in fact, they don’t do anything for the listener. Instinctively, they know that’s not what heartbreak sounds like.
Truly terrible things that seem determined to break your heart apart don’t happen on extraordinary days. They happen on boring, regular ones while you’re trying to have your coffee and stop yourself from shaking. They’re subtle.
Niamh Regan’s “Music” doesn’t let you know it’s going to try and break your heart. There’s no footage of screaming children or women screaming hysterically. No, the song will just sneak up on you. It won’t take much, either. Regan’s knack for a melody and the emotion that hangs around those vocals, like a dog waiting for the owner to open up the door, will be enough.
Gregory Ackerman – When It’s Through
Similar artists: Sam Evian, Wilco, Jack Johnson, J.J. Cale, M. Ward
Genre: Indie Folk, Indie Rock
There are many people searching for an epiphany. They’re willing to pay whatever they can afford. And, once they get it, they know exactly what they’ll do. They’ll take a picture of it, whatever it may look like, and they’re going to stick it on their Instagram profile and on their refrigerator door. All that’s left then is to wait for friends to ask them about it.
People assume that such flashes of inspiration can be bought, can be obtained by anyone willing to pay, and can be used for bragging points. The ones with a bit more experience seem more comfortable receiving these beams of light and are not quite as stressed about sharing them with the world. They simply don’t need to beat the drum too loudly.
Gregory Ackerman is more relaxed than you or me are, and he’s making a career of it, too. “When It’s Through” is another entry in his catalogue of subtle revelations. Just as last time when we reviewed his music, Ackerman is on the road, having his mind blown and not forgetting to write home about it. But he isn’t trying to make a bigger deal of this than he must. This is half-whispered folk-pop about everyday revelations.