All Around Sound Is Turning Eight! - Will Stratton

This year All Around Sound will enter it's eight year of operation. While not quite the milestone moment as a year five or year ten, each year that this blog exists is treasured. Mostly by me. Most of the music blog that I came up admiring and working alongside have more or less faded into obscurity: either having grand closing ceremonies or quietly closing up shop with the unspoken hope that they're start up someday later down the line, All Around Sound still exists and at least tries to encapsulates the spirit of our shuttered favorites: namely that of enthusiastic music discovery. Last year was a banner year for the blog seeing impressive releases from a number of our proven favorites but also newer acts and if this year is anything like the year that proceeded it, it'll be as exciting a year musically as ever.

photo by Josh Goleman

As is now tradition, this year I asked some of my favorite artists to contribute a mix to help ring in the blog's new birth year.Today's is a contribution from a longtime favorite of mine Beacon based singer/songwriter/composer/arranger Will Stratton. Ever since I was introduced to Stratton around the 2012 release of his incredible Post-Empire via a music subscription service started by a mutual friend and music writer, I've been positively fiending for more from the fingerstyle virtuoso. Stratton represents an ideal in my love of folk: brilliant, understated songs filled with thoughtful lyricism and composed of elegant melodies and rich, complementary arrangements. Will and I have geeked about over our mutual love of classical music and folk while also sharing a number of recommendations of things we'd think the other might like in a multitude of other genres. And maybe that's why it's taken so long to extend the offer to Stratton. But thankfully, once I saw the error of my ways, Will was more than happy to oblige my offer.

Will on his particular mix:

This mix is composed of music I like to listen to when I’m at home, often when I’m cooking. I think music that conveys the comfort and reflection of being at home is often overlooked when talking about music, although of course for a lot of us it’s the most common type of music we listen to. Travel music and party music and workout music is all good, but as someone who often works from home, and writes and records at home, I usually listen to albums all the way through, but sometimes it’s nice to live in a varying space, and that’s what this is for. There are old favorites like Karen Dalton and Sandy Denny on here, and more recent ones like Lomelda and Jim Ghedi. That’s really the main thing I like about making mixes—listening to the past and the present commingle and converse. 

Thanks to Will for contributing/dealing with my constant requests for album updates. And thank you as always to the readers of this fine blog for checking us out on our little corner of the Internet. Whether you're a longtime or newer follower, frequent or sporadic visitor, you're very much appreciated. 

Listen: Will Stratton - "Manzanita"

photo by Josh Goleman

While he hasn't exactly remained quiet since the release of his previous, very underrated album Gray Lodge Wisdom in 2014, singer/songwriter Will Stratton hasn't officially released anything since. A couple outtakes and demos yes that were only available to listen to/download for an incredibly limited period of time. But Stratton's been hard at work on his follow up and in little less than a week that batch of songs will be out entitled Rosewood Almanac will be out on Bella Union.

"Manzanita" is the second single from Rosewood Almanac and unlike previous single "Some Ride", it eschews the sparse arrangement in favor of a much more upbeat, full band sound. "Manzanita" is wonderfully life-affirming, a celebration of continued existence and the joy gleaned from little life moments. Though Stratton's six albums into his career, "Manzanita" still manages to be delightfully refreshing, pleasurably simple even as it gathers steam and becomes more intricate in its arrangement. "Manzanita" is absolutely resplendent, gliding along effortlessly as each new voice - backing vocals, piano, strings, saxophone all add exponentially to the track's feeling of jubilation. It's sure to be an album standout on an album full of absolutely winsome moments.



Will Stratton's upcoming album Rosewood Almanac is out May 12th on Bella Union. You can order the album here or digital here.

If You Wait Long Enough: Songs of Will Stratton (2013)

Last year, singer/songwriter Will Stratton put out his incredibly sprawling masterpiece Post-Empire. It was an album I had nothing but good things to say about since a stray tweet from Knox Road brought Stratton to my attention; it was inarguably a great album that paired Stratton's fingerstyle guitar with elegant string arrangements of his own design and while it was a fully realized album near to my heart, I was excited to get more from the former Brooklyn based singer/songwriter. Then following a successful European tour, Stratton got sick. Really sick. Stratton had stage III cancer. While fortunately Stratton's been able to get better, there are some hefty medical bills on  the horizon as the life of a touring musician doesn't exactly include a health insurance plan. 

Besides being an incredibly gifted songwriter, Will Stratton happens to be a rather cool dude and good friend. Perhaps that's why some of his musician friends recorded a covers albums of Stratton's songs to help raise funds for Stratton. You don't do that for someone unlikable. Enter If You Wait Long Enough: Song of Will Stratton, the benefit covers compilation made by said friends. 12 songs, 12 bands, with the bonus of a Will Stratton live track. 

One of my favorite things about the compilation is the fact that I'm not at all familiar with the bands on it. It might seem weird for your first impression of a band to be formed based on a cover and yet here we are. While about half of the album's tracks are Post-Empire era tracks, the other half happen to be a career-spanning endeavor; Brooklyn trio Jane Eyre's Jesse Rifkin performing the only track from Stratton's debut record What the Night Said.  It's really interesting to see what the band's do with the songs. One of my favorites being the glitchy, dream-pop variation of Alexandra Drewchin and Aaron Roche's "Post-Empire" take. Also of note is the rather dark rumble of Wilder Maker's "The War is Over". 

As far as covers albums are concerned, If You Wait Long Enough: Songs of Will Stratton is a rather enjoyable affair. The covers themselves helping to highlight a lot of Stratton's strengths in his own music-making. The covers are great and that's because the bands had such great material to draw from. It helps that the album isn't just a collection of one-note guitar and voice impressions of Will. Whether you live what they do or not, a lot of the covers use the source material as a base and go their own way with it. It creates a bit of interesting variation like the aforementioned Jesse Rifkin cover of "Katydid" which becomes a dance-pop jam.  The covers aren't just hit-it-and-quit-it kind of enjoyable either. I actually found myself going back to several of them that I really really liked making a mental note to check out that artist/band when all was 

said and done. That's the best thing a covers album can aspire to, right? 

You can purchase If You Wait Long Enough: Songs of Will Stratton on Bandcamp which I strongly recommend because not only is the covers album rather good, it all goes to benefit Will Stratton who is a very very nice guy and clearly an inspiring friend. Do it. 

All Around Sound's Favorite Albums of 2012

As mentioned in my favorite tracks year-end round up, 2012 function more so as the year of the single than anything else and more so this year than any other in recent memory. While one or two tracks were pretty spectacular on their own, throw together with a group of like-minded (or not in some cases) tracks saw them floundering for life, attempting to plug up the holes of sinking ships of hastily recorded follow ups or unmethodical debuts.That said, the year was not without it's fair share of brilliant music moments - albums that not only delivered on the potential of their singles but exceeded them by leaps and bounds. Here are, in no particular order, some of the exemplary records that really took the idea of an full length record to heart. Enjoy!

SoftSpot - Enzo
A relatively recent addition to my list of almost obsessively listened to albums, SoftSpot's premiere full length Enzo gets it's name from the Japanese word for "circle" and delivers as much; the album flowing from track to track with unceasing undulating energy. A listen to Enzo, it's not hard to see why it belongs on here: Sarah Kinlaw's vocals are hypnotic, the band not relegated to merely background players. SoftSpot reach an exceptional balance between balls to the wall frenetic jams and organic unfurling introspectives. There's no clear divide between them either as a track metamorphoses into the other almost without warning but not jarringly so. Everything on Enzo seems natural, seems right with no undue kinetic energy explled as SoftSpot demonstrate their prowess as band of patience willing to ride out the mounting waves of their own composition and benefiting greatly from it.

Bro. Stephen - Baptist Girls
If there's anything I've learned from Mad Men (besides how to drink copious amounts of booze, chainsmoke, and commit adultery like an Olympic champion) it's this: Nostalgia is America's chief good. Case it point: Bro. Stephen's nostalgic reveries are simply too good not to enjoy. It's intimate, heart-felt, and more so about beautifully crafted moments that make your heart bang or flutter than anything else. Scott Kirkpatrick is certainly gifted as a singer and a songwriter, of that there's is no question, but what really makes Baptist Girls is how each individual part of it's construction: from the precious melodies, the subtle creak of wood, to Kirkpatrick's beguiling sincerity, it's how they all congeal together to create these moments similar to yours, similar to anyone's that you can relate to. That are so beautifully simple, they make you nod while maybe you tear up a little. Baptist Girls is more than just a collection of songs, its a series of moments lovingly arranged like a family photo album.

Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion 

While it never really pays to cut down another artist in other to praise another artist, damn if only some of that residual buzz from the Alabama Shakes had fallen on Canada's Cold Specks. Her voice crowning the stormy, weathered soul of her own make. Dark atmospheric pieces with brilliant, triumphant moments I Predict A Graceful Expulsion is a quiet, delicate beauty of an album and entirely deserving of as many eager ears as possible. The fact that it hasn't might be the greatest slight of the year. She doesn't have a big band behind her gospel-inspired take on the singer/songwriter idiom but Al Spx's voice is as sagely, pained, and most important of all sincere as a modern soul singers could be. That's not a dig at anybody, Spx just provides a clean, non-showy alternative to what can sometimes become a flashy, spectacle.  

Jessie Baylin - Little Spark 

Layered with sweet Bacharachian sweeps and Dusty Springfield's classy sensuality, Jessie Baylin's sophomore record is one steeped in past influences but instead of playing like a jukebox album, Baylin utilizes her adoration of  60s/70s pop to convey her own troubles which are not all that different from theirs. At times fun and infectious, others serious and heartfelt, Jessie Baylin's Little Spark is a pop album that thoroughly benefits from knowing its history. The Brill Building lushness and orchestral flourishes provide an insatiable base for Baylin's flavorful additions. It's guilt-free pop you'd wish could set some sort of standard. Not only wearing your influences on your sleeve but using them merely to enhance instead of dominate what you're already skilled in. 

Laura Gibson - La Grande 

With more than a handful of releases underneath her belt, La Grande is Laura Gibson's most accomplished. Seeking solace in a rather old-timey sound, La Grande manages to avoid hokey-ness aided completely by her minimalistic approach to songwriting where she says just enough to have every word resonate with purpose while never quite being contrived about it. Each song belongs, each verse and phrase important. Gibson always been a gifted, poetic lyricist but when aided with the rather creative western-y lo-fi leaning sound on La Grande, the whole takes on a very classic feel. 

Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams 

A work of unmitigated patience, forethought, and effort, Lord Huron's debut full length Lonesome Dreams could be called a concept album of sorts. While western-tinged instead of the world-inspired sound of their previous EPs, the album fits rather excellently into the Lord Huron canon. Despite the fact that the PR campaign seemed filled with painstakingly thought of detail (a website for the fake author of the novels of which Lonesome Dreams is based on being one of them), Lonesome Dreams is an album that doesn't get bogged down with all that when put into actual practice. The details function more as behind the scenes notes dictating where the story will go without seeing exhaustingly recalled. Lord Huron have a talent for simple-seeming but complexly layered chamber pop and they don't disappoint here. Their sound as full and evenhanded on their sepia-colored opus as any of the more electronic leanings of Ben Schneider's creation, Lonesome Dreams is another stellar example of what a concept album can be: easily to listen to without foreknowledge, enjoyable all around, and tremendously rewarding if you do happen to get it. While I'm sure we've yet to get the full brunt of Lord Huron's innovation, Lonesome Dreams is a particularly wonderful start.  

Daughn Gibson - All Hell 

If you had explained Daughn Gibson to me before playing it for me, I probably would've avoided it like the plague. Electronic/Country hybrid? That sounds relevant to exactly none of my interests. Thankfully no one told me what to expect from Daughn Gibson and I got the pleasant surprise of a wonderful album of unexpected twists and turns and a surprising amount of emotional resonance for such a sample-laden release.    It's rather easy to be dissuaded from an album that feature stories about people appearing on Cops and yet Gibson with his commanding presence, deep booming baritone, and adventurous charm make the album a completely worthwhile endeavor. A rather impressive effort and much appreciate burst of new and interesting in two genres where sameness is commonplace.

Hospitality - Hospitality 

From the angular melodies to the band's tight knit padding for Amber Papini's smart lyrics about city life, post-college, and all sorts of old young people concerns, Hospitality is catchy jangle pop done right. Papini has a real knack for pop hooks that don't quite feel like pop hooks and the band perfectly balances hanging back to give Papini the room her feathery vocals need to alight while making their own presence known and heard. A far different version from the syrupy chamber pop of their EP days, Hospitality provides an excellent base for the band to build upon. An album that proves Hospitality are ones to watch and enjoyable ones at that.

Conveyor - Conveyor
If there was a more vibrant, colorful album released all year, no one certainly told me. Conveyor's self-titled debut is an auditory sunburst, channeling sunny days and unrepressed happiness while building on the group's  minimalistic experimental pop we saw at work on their Sun Ray EP. Quirky but not goofy, Conveyor create exuberant smile-inducing moments of sheer aural bliss while never casting any doubt on their talents as legitimate musicians. Conveyor is a slowly-evolving but always engaging pitch-perfect adventure where every route is the scenic one and every path worth taking. A charming whole filled with tasty, interesting parts.

You Won't - Skeptic Goodbye

Sometimes making truly special folk pop let alone music isn't to try and turn the whole world upside down. It's possible to be creative without necessarily redefining a whole genre of music. Sure, those are what everyone's usually looking for but every once in awhile you stumble upon a record like Skeptic Goodbye from the Massachusetts duo You Won't. It's charming beyond words, fully demonstrative of the twosomes talents, a brilliant collection of songs that works together, but any deviation from pre-established norms is subtle. No look at me attention-grabbing antic here. Josh Arnoudse is a gifted lyricist with the kind of voice that gently commands attention not pleading for it and Raky Sastri is a skilled instrumentalist and well as producer. Their songs are either catchy as all get out or just too good not to want to listen to again and really that's what any good musician to strive for. Skeptic Goodbye is a great smattering of folk pop some with rather anthemic leanings.  

Will Stratton - Post-Empire 

Singer/songwriter Will Stratton is an musician who really gets it. Having great lyrics (which he certainly has in spades) is not all it takes to write a good song. Stratton's approach to songwriting pairs all of his various talents to work to create incredible music moments and excellent mood-changes. In fact, Post-Empire starts with about 2.5 minute orchestral intro before the entrance of the more folk-friendly guitar, a full three before Stratton's first verse is even uttered. This reverence for the actual extra elements of a song is something you'd wish more people cherished, more people employed. Maybe not in such a grand fashion but when an album takes it's time beginning, you know it's going to be a worthwhile listen. In addition to lovely arrangements, Stratton's fingerstyle guitar paired with his rolling, ambling melodies makes for a pretty incredible all-around immersive experience. Post-Empire is the kind of album you can put on and just sit and marvel at the level of musicianship contained within. 

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP 

Most people refrain from putting EPs on an albums list. I'm not most people. Especially not when you have a record like Daniel Rossen's Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP. On his first true solo outing, Rossen expounds upon the epic arrangements of Department of Eagles and Grizzly Bear with his own solid voice resulting in five songs that are simply spectacular. Astonishingly poetic turns of phrase that stick with you are paired with larger than life instrumentals that seem to grow larger and more layered with each subsequent listen. Topped off with intensely emotive vocals, the EP is a testament to Rossen's own talents and why others are so lucky to have him a collaborating. A beautiful stirring collection of songs that almost weren't. Thank heavens they were.

Efterklang - Piramida
With three fantastic albums under their belt, there was no doubt in anyone's minds as to Danish trio Efterklang's awesomeness or artistic integrity. Then in a move that couldn't possibly be foreseen, the Danes had the wacky idea to go to an abandoned Russian coal-mining settlement in the far north of Norway where they recorded all sorts of sounds that formed the framework for their brilliant, brilliant fourth studio album Piramida. On it, they combine the accessibility of Magic Chairs with the dreamy, atmospheric air of their orchestral-leaning albums. Piramida is a work of incredible artistic ambition proving Efterklang as master craftsmen and truly creatively leaders. Employing women's choirs and orchestras, Efterklang reach a level of collaboration most can only dream of.

Kishi Bashi - 151a 

With a real sense of overarching themes and a cinematic scope, Kishi Bashi's debut is certainly an impressive one. Especially considering the pit of doubters waiting in the wings to compare him to other violin/loop pedal users Andrew Bird and Owen Pallett. While learning from his predecessors, K. manages to offer up a singular, unique voice. Japanese vocalizations are welcome treat from the "oh" and "ah"'s you find in standard pop music while K.'s psychedelic deviations add a distinctive coloring to what would already be an applause-worthy effort to create a debut so strong it has to be heard to be believed. 151a is an amazingly adventurous debut brimming with talent and life.

Lands & Peoples - Pop Guilt 

Though by no means a proper representation of the brilliant new direction the Baltimore lads have taken since losing some of their members, Pop Guilt is a snapshot of the band in their youth and in it you can trace elements for their rugged experimentalism. That said Pop Guilt is a great album in its own right featuring bustling pop choruses, dynamic textural play, and some rather incredible vocal chops in Caleb Moore and Beau Cole. And yet as pleasant and arresting as the vocals can (and are allowed) to be, Lands & Peoples music isn't nor has it ever been a platform for them. Lands & Peoples make great use of textures and layers, using vocals to add more dimension, more depth to their already seemingly fathomless experimental pop ditties.

Port St. Willow - Holiday 

After my discovery of The Antlers' Hospice, I really wasn't looking for a record like that again. A record that would utterly destroy all my emotional barriers and make me absolutely fatigued from just feeling so much but here we are. While not quite as devasting, Holiday certainly falls into the same category of mood music that is simply too beautiful for words. Each and every listen results is a cathartic release and never do you grow numb to Nick Principe's raw, emotion-shredding work. In musical landscape dominated by senseless, vapid music without real meaning, it's a treat to get something this precious, this heartfelt, this real. Principe places himself completely out in the open and the result is an album of absolute elegance and finely crafted pathos.

Levek - Look A Little Closer 

In addition to being a veritable grab-bag of 70s musical styles, Look A Little Closer builds upon the somewhat cartoon-y vibe of Levek's demos with some pretty solid jams. It also happens to function doubly as a sort of emotional catharsis for Levek mastermind David Levesque while avoiding relying too heavily on that to function. In fact, without that little tidbit of information, it's still entirely possible to enjoy Look A Little Closer without feeling like you're missing something; some crucial piece to the puzzle. Instead the album slopes gently into a multitude of jam-laden 70s psychedelic subgenres while not sounding like it's trying too hard to do so. Levek for all intents and purposes casually eludes any notion of genre seeking the far more rewarding option of simple good music.

Young Man - Vol. 1
As under-represented as female songwriters/arts/bands seem to be in the music industry sometimes it seems like they have the most interesting stories to tell. The most clever spins on their tragic love lives, the most affecting vocals. I wasn't actively looking for an exception to that, for someone to describe the trials and tribulations of manhood when I found Colin Caulfield aka Young Man. In a series detailing his rite of passage into manhood, Vol. 1 isn't even the full scope of the Caulfield's experiences. And yet, it does so so articulately, so universally, so accessibly while sounds so personal that Vol. 1 quickly became a favorite. It's a male songwriter singing about something actually important that isn't your standard heartbreak tale or love song. Wrapping up his sagely observations in smart-pop dressings, Vol. 1 isn't just an album that appeals to young men or even older men. It's got a broad appeal while tackling a subject few explore that actually matters.  It's a well-rounded effort equally displaying Colin Caulfield's intelligent songwriting chops while also showcasing the talents of his collaborators and dressing them up nicely in solely beneficial arrangements.

Bowerbirds - The Clearing 

There comes a time in every band's career when they seek to change some form of what they've been doing either for better or worse. For Bowerbirds, they expanded upon their pastoral reveries by reaching a higher level of universal resonance than ever before. Transforming from mild-mannered folk band to high-minded art rock band, The Clearing in a lot of ways shines a light on where Bowerbirds have been and where they are going. Their third album, the album gives little hints about their roots while detailing their lives together in their trademark nature-laden imagery and artful use of metaphor. And while employing far bigger experimentations to their sound, they also apply it at a smaller level giving resident power harmony gal Beth Tacular her lead debuts in "Hush" and "In the Yard", the result is simply amazing. Beth, Phil Moore, and the rest of the talented crew of musicians are in rare form on The Clearing and create an album that both appeals to the long-standing Bowerbirds fan while also shaking things up to keep things interesting and grab some new ears.  Bowerbirds have always been masters of subtle emotion-stirring moments and the certainly don't disappoint as each lyric, each phrase, each musical flourish pulls at the heart-strings, brings a smile to your lips, or just lets you bask in the glory of a truly good band that knows what it's doing.

Hundred Waters - Hundred Waters 

In a musical climate where things sound more than a little similar and overdone, a band like Hundred Waters is a much needed breath of fresh air. One of my favorite things about the band is the utterly unclassifiable nature of their music. Owing equal parts of their composition to electronics and the ethereal sensuality of Nicole Miglis vocals, the band are rather unlike anything I'd heard before in the best way possible. Imaginative, creative, and expansive, Hundred Waters' debut album plays like an absolute dream - consuming you fully from start to finish with it's mesmerizing textural play. Hundred Waters are a band of artists in a completely nonpretentious sense creating enthralling, intriguing multi-layered masterpieces that don't beat you over the head with how art-y they are. Instead Hundred Waters offer up works of beguiling beauty that all fit together spectacularly in the grand scheme of their album. Their album is downright cosmic - raising perceptions about what art music can be while remaining accessibly so. Their palette of sounds are otherworldly and grand - the soundtrack to epic adventures or grandiose happenings while remaining subtle enough to operate on a smaller level. An absolute behemoth of talent and dazzling display of non-grandstanding musicianship.  

Honorable Mentions:
River Whyless - A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door

Lucius - Lucius EP

Black Girls - Hell Dragon

Daniel Hart - The Orientalist (rerelease)

Will Stratton - Post-Empire (2012)

It's a marvel that I was introduced to Will Stratton purely by chance; a stray tweet from Knox Road advertising the upcoming release of Post-Empire piqued my interest and directed me to Stratton's Bandcamp where a two song preview wait for me. Honestly enough, on my first couple listens to the full album upon its release date, the tracks that most jumped out at me were the first two - the tracks that had hooked me in the first place.

And yet as I listened to the album again and again, I couldn't deny my enjoyment of the album as a whole. "You Divers" functions as a rather exceptional prelude to the collection of plainsy, windswept tunes of Post-Empire and "When You Let Your Hair Down to Your Shoulder" grabbed me with its Marling-esque inflections but the whole album is a rich, nuanced work of talent. As evidenced by the aforementioned "You Divers" with its almost 3 minute instrumental introduction, Stratton displays a careful attention to detail and patient plotting that benefits the album greatly in the long run. Post-Empire becomes an album that sort of sneaks up on you after catching you in its web of brilliant finger-picked melodies and bewitching vocal harmonies. Slowly you become aware of the man's uncanny ability for heartwarming poetic lyricism and Stratton's own tenor pleasantly initiates you into his realm of delicate folk hymns.

Post-Empire is an album that doesn't rely on catchiness at least not outright. It's undeniably memorable but not from a poppy approach. No, instead Stratton draws you in with the abundance of talent both compositional and lyrical that radiates from each song. Post-Empire is an album that does what it wants in exactly the time it wants to do so and manages to take its place as one of the best folk albums of the year as a result. While the foursome of "At The Table of Styx", "If You Wait Long Enough", "The Relatively Fair" and album closer "Mercury Id Blues" form a rather impressive lead out, the album takes its time getting there with the cascading riffs of "Tell Me, Where Do I Begin?" and the most notably story-driven track on the album, "Colt New Marine". It's these middle tracks where Stratton's lyrical prowess becomes the most important, driving the songs more than the arrangements. Will Stratton should certainly be proud of such a majestically aurally pleasing endeavor and we should all be in awe.

Listen to Will Stratton's Post-Empire here or on Spotify:

Will Stratton - "You Divers"/"When You Let Your Hair Down to Your Shoulder"

I'm not exactly sure what originally made Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Will Stratton follow me on Twitter but I'm certainly glad he did. Though it lasted but briefly, it brought him to my attention. Next month sees the release of his fourth full-length album Post-Empire, and if the first two songs streaming on his Bandcamp are any indication, it's bound to be a good one.

Will Stratton's melodies and instrumentals are considerably impressive - taking the best parts of folk bands like Horse Feathers and Bowerbirds (and their pastoral reveries), frankenstein-ing them together, and adding his own light touch of finger-picking and quiet, arresting tenor. Stratton somehow makes his 7 minute opening track, "You Divers" seem like mere seconds.and worthy of instantaneous repeat. Only to be followed by bustling "When You Let Your Hair Down to Your Shoulder" which finds the perfect balance between the soulful arrangement and Stratton's narrative.

Hear the two masterfully written tracks here:

Will Stratton's Post-Empire is out March 20th.