Shannon Lay – Living Water (2017, Woodsist/Mare)
Continuing the tradition of post-hippie era folkies, who scrapped the free love sentiment of the 60s for a more pastoral and sentimental sound, L.A-based Shannon Lay can be spoken about in the same breath as icons of the genre. Her newest record, Living Water, is a testament to this sound. Brimming with gentle nostalgia and heartbreak, Living Water is tenderly personal and possesses an unimaginable beauty. The wispy vocals, gently fingerpicked guitar and occasional waves of violin come together serenely to paint the blue and green of the American West Coast, a picturesque region near and dear to the orange-haired Lay. Her use of strange, abstract lyrics adds an extra layer of mysticism to her already otherworldly music, rendering it effortlessly timeless. This LP will surely cement her in folklore alongside the likes of Sibylle Baier and Vashti Bunyan.
10/10
Trial Track: “The Moons Detriment”
