New Mix: Lucy Dacus, Ben Howard, Cautious Clay, Kelli Scarr & More
Top row, left to right: Cautious Clay, Kelli Scarr, Lucy Dacus; Bottom row, left to right: Lightning Bug, Ben Howard Courtesy of the artists hide caption
On this edition of All Songs Considered, I've got more songs about finding both light and darkness in life. At the top of the list is the devastating new one from Lucy Dacus, based on a long-lost dad's encounter with his daughter and an uncomfortable reunion. Cautious Clay recounts a relationship that could bring out the worst in him, while Kelli Scarr's first new song in about a decade, "Eve Of Spring," takes darkness and transforms it into something bright and positive.
There's also lots of texture in the music this week, much of it from the interplay of guitar and voice. NPR Music's Marissa Lorusso shares music from Sour Widows, which she describes as a bedroom rock band from the Bay Area, with two guitar-playing singers. We hear the well-crafted sounds of Ben Howard, with production help from Aaron Dessner and players from the bands Big Thief and This Is the Kit. We end the show with Lightning Bug, as a wash of guitars commingles with the singing of Audrey Kang.