For many, the image of the traveling folk singer is one that evokes a level of romanticism in your mind, a road-worn troubadour that tells you stories of love, loss, and what's beyond your small worldview. For  David Huss , his time abroad in college playing gigs in Australian bars, and working as a fisherman in Alaska have set him up to be that ideal 21st-century folk troubadour, and this is all reflected into his debut album  Intuition . The album, at its core, tackles the feelings surrounding the life decisions you have to make in your 20s. The album's triumphant opening "Shelikof" has David asking if he belongs or not. This hesitation and search for affirmation pop up again in songs like "Critic," "Wings," and "Horizon." That unease makes figuring what's next in life difficult. Whether it's an inner critical monologue or anxiety over an important decision, David always seems to find a place in each song that gives a sense...

Alexander Natalie has the ability to put raw emotions into words that are rarely seen among folk artists. Natalie made his powerful debut onto Twin Cities last year with the December release of How Much Could You Ask of Me? which was one of our favorite releases of 2018 . Now Natalie and company are back with their first single of 2019 titled "Nosh." The track opens almost from nothing as a lone acoustic guitar plays a simple chord progression before Natalie's voice makes a haunting appearance with the lyrics "Give it up? I’m old enough/To know it’s not enough/Just to be in love." As those words sink in, the feelings of a relationship that has gone cold begin to wash over you until Natalie closes out the first verse by stating "Enough is enough/And I can't breathe."  Like in much of his work, there are themes of maturity and accepting the future as something you cannot always change in this track. These themes are underscored by incredibly be...

This week's column is going to be more mellow than previous editions. Distorted guitars have been traded in for an acoustic as we take a look at the Rochester-based band Twin Lakes . Their debut EP Stag is one of the freshest takes on the folk-rock/folk-pop genres that I have heard in a long time. After a couple of spins, I was ready to trade my denim jacket and black skinny jeans for a pair of vintage trousers with suspenders, a collared shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat. The opening track "Fiend" feels akin to an Ed Sheeran tune, but it doesn't feel like a rip-off or a cheap imitation. Instead, the track is just really fun, despite the darker subject matter. "Fiend" is also one of the grooviest songs on the EP. The last quarter of the song features a drum break that I was not expecting in the slightest. One thing that you can find throughout this EP is that all instruments work to not overplay even when it would be easy to do. The drum break keeps it im...

The Gray Havens are changing it up a bit with their new single "Forever." As a follow up to their single "She Waits," "Forever" is an expansion into some new sonic territory for the band. Their typical folky elements are being put to the wayside in favor of electronic instruments. All of the lyrical depth is there so you can breathe a sign of relief if you are a long time fan nervous about new direction. The bands last album, Ghost of a King , was released in 2016 so the band is due for a new album. Listen to "Forever" below. Forever by The Gray Havens