If this is the modern face of folk music, and I’m sure it is, then I’m on board. Blending traditional folk and singer-songwriter vibes with something more indie, more polished, Stand Aside is a cool mix of understatement and accessibility, grace and groove.
Essentially a voice and guitar, there is a richness that comes from the vocal delivery, the tastefulness of the song-writing and the simple confidence born of the rhythm guitar which drives everything along sweetly. Sure, there are delicate vocal and guitar embellishments and probably some smart use of the mixing desk, and why not, but this is the modern singer-songwriter sound at its best.
There is little point in trying to re-invent the genre those who do end up turning it into something else, some weird hybrid that generally falls between two camps. After all, the template has been set in stone since the days of Joni and Jackson. But it does still need to move with the times, and Stand Aside is the sound of that happening.
