Cass McCombs & Ryley Walker

Two American singer-songwriters, both of whom have been Song of the Day on here a while back so they get this post instead, apropos of nothing except that they're both notable talents and both have new records out soon. McCombs particularly seems to really be coming into his own. Formerly there was the faintest echo of Elliott Smith in many of his finest songs but now he seems to have outgrown that influence and his forthcoming album Mangy Love sounds like a thing of rare and poised beauty, judging by the songs put out in advance to herald it.

Walker is a slightly odder proposition. His records, including new single Roundabout are lush, dreamy acoustic pastoralism. Echoes of John Martyn, Nick Drake, Van Morrison and the early seventies. But Walker himself seems a thornier character than much of his musical output suggests. Watch the promo for Roundabout  which seethes with barely suppressed anger. Both he and McCombs though are interesting narrators of an America that seems increasingly ill at ease with itself.