Take Me Home To Glory

When it comes to mountain music, I fall for it every time. Mont Smokey, a new band from Seattle, uses harmonies, bluegrass instruments, and vintage recording techniques to make me swoon. A duo between Sean and Toby (I can't find any last names), Mont Smokey brings back a fundamental sound that shaped much of early America, and now a large part of my "on repeat" playlist.

Mont Smokey - Things In the Ground

Mont Smokey - Be Ready For That Day

Greatest Openers - Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car

Sam Beam had a very successful formula going. On all of his previous albums, the musical genius behind Iron & Wine kept the recordings mainly limited to just his guitar and vocals. Fans were perfectly content with this tried and true method, anxiously awaiting the next LP. The first taste of the new album was the single “Boy with a Coin”, and fans could already tell Sam was beginning to change things up. Several months later, Iron & Wine released The Shepherd’s Dog. The album opens with a faded guitar, as if off in the distance. Quickly, a full band joins in with Sam, fully showing off Iron & Wine’s new sound. This transition makes the move to their expanded sound accessible to both seasoned fans and new listeners. As soon as Sam’s layered vocal tracks kick in, the song really takes off. With detailed lyrics and beautiful vocals, “Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car” is one of Beam’s best.

Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car - Iron & Wine