The idea of the acoustic guitar wielding singer-songwriter might seem like a simple musical form, but that is really the point. With little to hide behind, few sonic embellishments or pedal board shenanigans as a distraction, it comes down to one thing…the songs. And Ruby Greenberg certainly has the songs.
There is still a few weeks until this charming quintet of charming tunes drops, but believe me, you are going to want to have this in your music collection, not just for its delicately adorned sound and its clever blend of groove and understatement, but because these are the sort of songs that even after just one spin you find yourself humming along them when you least expect it.
A number of these songs have already seen the light of day as singles, but when they are all together in one place, you realize what a great body of work she has here. ‘I Carry You’ is Greenberg’s take on the ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ sentiment, but one set in lush pop-folk territory; pianos wander through, Hammond’s swell, and the song moves from the gorgeous to the grand effortlessly and incrementally.
‘Pictures of Us’ similarly sits in a roots-pop space, equal parts country cool and folk finesse, echoing both past greats and the also the here-and-now… familiar, perhaps, but wonderfully fresh, too. ‘The House You Built’ is a gorgeous celebration of that feeling of belonging in a place, physically and otherwise, and the EP ends on ‘Trust Yourself’ and a lovely endorsement of the power of self-belief.
In an age when country music is overtly showy and folk music is becoming soaked through with cooler-than-thou indie pretentions, Ruby Greenberg reminds us of the simple pleasures of perfectly crafted songs delivered with precision and built only from the sonic elements required to make them work.
And boy, do these songs work.
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