With a new single and b-side, Andy Palmer will perform on Friday at the Walnut Room. Photo by Kit Chalberg.
Gritty folk-rocker has released a new single, available to download for free here, as well as a companion b-side. Remember b-sides?
When last we heard from Denver gritty folk rocker , it was spring 2013. He had just released “Hazard of the Die,” an album that seemed concerned with social and economic inequalities and garnered well-deserved critical respect. In the time since, the former Brooklyn public defender has continued writing and performing, and this summer released a live performance recorded at Fox Theatre.
Now, on October 21, Palmer is releasing a pair of tracks, launching his new relationship with the Boulder label . The first is a single, “Storms Not Coming,” available for exclusive free download below. These days, in the new era of digital music, it’s not uncommon for an artist to release singles as opposed to albums. What is uncommon — what is almost dead — is the b-side track, the song on the opposite side of the single that usually diverges in some way from the expected. But much as Palmer’s music straddles the line between Americana traditions and contemporary folk-rock, he is releasing a b-side track, “The Hill,” as a companion to the single, and plans to do so againin a few months.
This approach goes beyond nostalgia and novelty. These two songs work as companions. “Storms Not Coming” is a loosely veiled commentary about the current state of the world. To Palmer, the storm is notcoming, the storm has arrived, and it’s high time we all quit denying the thunder. Musically, it’s a powerful track showcasing how folk rock can actually rock. It’s dense and driving. On the metaphorical flipside, b-side track “The Hill” is sparse gospel. The track features Palmer’s soulful gravel singing over the tapping of a copper cup. References to cotton and cannonballs draw images of a time centuries ago. As different as these songs are in era and production, together they serve as a reminder that things haven’t changed as dramatically as they appear, both in politics and the music industry.
Andy Palmer will perform at the on Friday, October 24 as part of an Immersive Records showcase that also features and .
Please note that downloads offered via Steal This Track are intended to whet your appetite, and are NOT CD-quality recordings. If you want those, please support the artists by buying their music and/or seeing them live.
If you’re a Colorado band or musician ready to expose your fresh sounds to the readers of Reverb, email your tracks — along with any interesting facts about them, as well as a photo or album art — toSteal This Trackfor consideration. We only feature tracks not available for free elsewhere.
Josh Johnson is a Denver freelance writer and Reverb contributor. He’s also a journeyman butcher. Seriously.
