Quiet Time Edition: Marie/Lepanto, Field Medic & H.C. McEntire

Marie/Lepanto: Tenkiller

Last week I featured some turn-it-up rock albums. Seems like a good idea to follow that up with some new music that’s more of the keep-it-quiet variety, so here is a set of more lo-fi introspective stuff for your soul. I’ll start with Marie/Lepanto a project featuring Will Johnson (of Centro-Matic, among other projects) and Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster (of Water Liars). While both these guys can get rocking and the album does feature tracks that will have you reaching for the volume knob, the bulk of the record’s highlights are heavy with a wonderfully thoughtful, patient, searching, spiritual quietness. This is some good stuff that transcends labels like folk and country and rock … highly recommended.

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Field Medic: Songs From The Sunroom

Getting even more into the lo-fi realm, I’ve got Field Medic, which is the solo folk project of Kevin Patrick. The record, actually released last fall, is Songs From The Sunroom and it’s really stripped down, bedroom stuff (or sunroom stuff) and is a bit all over the place. But more often than not the songs resonate, the guitar sparkles and Patrick’s energy endears. The songs were recorded and put out on Bandcamp in a sort of, one-at-a-time, as-they-come schedule and so the record is also a bit of a diary and a documentary. Dig in and enjoy!

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H.C. McEntire: Lionheart

Last up this week is who is one of many artists out there starting from a nominally “country” setting and taking it to new and interesting places. Her debut album is Lionheart and features some gorgeous vocals, some penetrating songwriting and a supporting cast of RecommNed favorites, including William Tyler and Mary Lattimore as well as Angel Olsen, Phil Cook and Tift Merritt. The quiet moments on the record, when McEntire’s voice and songs are the focus, are especially powerful, but the whole thing is quite good and well worth a listen or two.

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