I Need to Start a Garden by Portland-based folk songwriter Haley Heynderickx is now available everywhere on the great Mama Bird Recording Co. This is one of my personal favorites of the year. The songwriting is intriquing and unique and then there’s that voice that has such an emotional range. The depth of that voice cuts through me like a knife. Which is a pretty horrible analogy, because this doesn’t hurt me. Quite the opposite actually. The emotional range finds even the parts of me that you can’t find from human anatomy encyclopedia and fills them with something pure and eventually healing. The whole album is marvellous, but for me the highlight of it is Untitled God Song. Profoundly captivating, completely addicting and dazzlingly beautiful song that describes the appearance of God in an unconventional manner. It’s both moving and amusing and I’ve listened to it dozens of times. What a great record. I’m not really an outdoor type, but I’m pretty sure I need to start a garden.

Haley Heynderickx Website

Stop the press! We have a new Daniel Markham album on the horizon. Well truth to be told, there’s really no need to stop, because there hasn’t been anything going on in this silly blog during the past weeks. However, I love Daniel Markham and I’m thrilled that he has a new album Hyperspeed coming out on the 25th of May. The first single and music video from the forthcoming album surfaced on Friday and it’s once again magnificent. I’ve had Velvet Elvis on repeat during the weekend and can’t wait to hear the whole album in month and a half.

And here’s the music video that premiered at New Slang. They also have Q&A with Daniel so hit this link to get some background information.

Daniel Markham Website

My blogging activity has again been next to none. I meant to do a lot this week, but a couple of 4 am wake ups due to the day job have turned my brain into a foggy mess and I’m incapable of forming a sentence. I will still hang on and continue no matter how infrequently. Of course, if I was wiser, I would let this slide into oblivion. This post would have been a good opportunity for that, because there’s probably not a better way to quit than share a song from possibly the finest album that I’ve covered here during the 16+ years of onechord.net. I’m still madly in love with the self-titled The Weather Station album that came out last year on Paradise of Bachelors / Outside Music. The album will be relevant for years to come, but this week even more so because there’s a new captivating music video available for the song Impossible. The new video was directed by Colin Medley. Watch it below and then go and listen to the whole powerful album.

And here’s another magnificent song that I probably haven’t shared. Actually I should probably write a blog entry about every single one of these songs, because they are all so dear to me.

The Weather Station Website

Courtney Marie Andrews has been one of my biggest favourites during the past few years. Leuven Letters EP and the album Honest Life are heralded as stone cold classics in this household and therefore I’m thrilled that she has a new album out and available. The album May Your Kindness Remain came out on the 23rd of March on Loose Music (Europe) and Fat Possum Records/ Mama Bird Recording Co (USA) and it’s able to live up to my sky high expectations.

May Your Kindness Remain is more intense and soulful than its predecessor. I try to live an honest life, so I admit that personally I maybe prefer the down-to-earth sound of Honest Life. Not that I really love this any less, so don’t take that as a complaint. After all, why write the same record over and over again, if you can push yourself towards new horizons without losing any of the brilliance. And quite frankly, Courtney Marie Andrews masters these new soulful heights with perfection and sounds even more confident and convincing than ever before. Her storytelling is emotionally charged and profoundly compelling. The characters of her songs have their flaws and their share of different struggles. Some might even be deep in sorrow, but she tells their stories with empathy, kindness and warmth. That deep empathy and warmhearted kindness is what really shines through. I’m super good at letting myself get wrapped into stressful anxieties and records like this lift these shadows from my heart. This new Mark Howard produced album is powerful and beautiful and a further proof that Courtney Marie Andrews is one of the finest songwriters at the moment. Here’s a couple of personal favorites, but you really need to hear the whole thing.

Courtney Marie Andrews Website