Doug Keith: 'Now I've Got It Made'

Doug Keith

Emily Keith

Doug Keith's debut LP, Here's To Outliving Me, is familiar but fresh. The New York native's songs are rooted comfortably in traditional folk and Americana, without being mawkish or treading into tired territory. This is largely because Keith's voice is so richly textured, backed by sweet harmonies and beautifully layered instrumentation.

Keith is a modern-day troubadour. He sings of the usual topics: women, heartbreak, death, and longing. But thanks to a welcome trace of roughness in his voice, he comes off as a well-weathered and sage source of advice and storytelling.

For Here's To Outliving Me, Keith also has a few tricks up his sleeve: The addition of a Wurlitzer, lapsteel and electric guitars on a handful of tracks makes the songs a bit richer and more complex. Jennifer O'Connor, who has recorded with The Hold Steady and Ben Folds Five, lends some surprising backing vocals on tracks like "The Companion of an Angel" or "Now I've Got It Made".

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