I fell for Claire Cronin’s songs late last year when I heard her album Over and Through. Her new album Came Down a Storm is a collaboration with Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich. Together they’ve created a captivating collection of dark folk songs full of melancholic beauty. The spectrum is definitely wider thanks to John’s excellent production, but they aren’t trying to reinvent this. They are still relying on the same strengths that made the earlier album special and thankfully so. I really love that sort of bare, but still somehow intense mood that is crawling into my ears wrapped into her gorgeous voice. Came Down a Storm is now out on Ba Da Bing Records.

Claire Cronin Website

Modern Mal released the first single Wild Heart from their forthcoming album The Misanthrope Family Album. This new single sounds mighty good to me and I’m really looking forward to the album. I’ve enjoyed everything Rachel Brooke has released over the years and I’m aware that her partner in crime, life and Modern Mal, Brooks Robbins, has written some great songs for her. I haven’t done my homework about Brooks other adventures, but I’ll start with Modern Mal. Check out the music video below and pick the new single from Bandcamp or iTunes while waiting for the full-length.

Modern Mal Website

Adeline Hotel aka Dan Knishkowy has been on my radar for a while and I’ve been pretty close to featuring his earlier releases, but in the end I haven’t. Until now that is, because I’m very fond of his new Will Stratton produced album It’s Alright, Just The Same.

Adeline Hotel takes influence from artists like Bert Jansch, Wilco and The Weather Station and on one occasion he is singing about Big Star. So it sure looks Dan is onto me and makes music that ticks all the right boxes. However, that itself wouldn’t do that much, if he didn’t have his own voice and great song material. There’s no worries whatsoever on that department though. There’s a lot of marvellous songs on the album. This one for example is an absolute beauty. Wonder Why from the new Adeline Hotel album that is now out on Wild Kindness.

Adeline Hotel at Facebook