They Write The Songs Edition: Traveller, Brent Cobb, Sam Lewis & Erika Wennerstrom

Traveller: Western Movies

Summer always feels like a time for exceptional songs, a time to appreciate songcraft at its finest. As such, this week the RecommNeds has some of my favorite songwriting of the year. I’ll start things off with Traveller which is a sort of songwriting supergroup consisting of Robert Ellis, Jonny Fritz and Cory Chisel, who can all write a tune on their own. Together on their new record, Western Movies, they’re three friends just having fun … and also, three fantastic songwriters. There are so many gems on this album that will make you smile and laugh and think and listen again and again.

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Brent Cobb: Providence Canyon

The best songwriting is personal and that’s certainly the feel you get from Brent Cobb on his new album Providence Canyon. Taking a homespun country sound and making it his own with vivid imagery and from-the-heart storytelling, the record has the goods from the excellent opening title track on down. Cobb’s got the perfect voice to suit his songs which are topped off with just enough country-rock and a dose of pedal steel to form one of the best country albums of the year. Enjoy!

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Sam Lewis: Loversity

As happens every so often around with RecommNeds, sometimes I hear an album and it’s so damn good I just assume that everyone already knows about it and for some reason that just isn’t the case. The latest release from Sam Lewis falls into this category. It is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of soulful country-rock that is one of my favorite albums of the year, filled with wonderful songwriting, crunchy grooves and Lewis’ lovable tenor. Somehow he remains under the radar, but now you know, so go listen and fall and love and spread the word. Highly recommended.

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Erika Wennerstrom: Sweet Unknown

And last, but not least, I want to make sure you know about the debut solo release from Erika Wennerstrom. Erika was the lead singer in the Heartless Bastards, who recently decided to take time off with the stated reason that they needed a break. Wennerstrom took the time to do some serious soul-searching and the songs that came from this introspective period are a deep dive into her journey. Incredibly personal and yet visionary in their universality, these are some damn good songs. Also, they f’n rock. This is a fantastic album that invites re-listening and returns over the months and years ahead. I think you’ll dig.

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