Sunday, July 15, 2012

Night Owl - by Willie Ames

Willie Ames "Nigh Owl" LP is a smart combination of folk picking, rich storytelling and driven beats. The melodies sound familiar but as the songs begin to unfold, they weave away from four chord folk picking, finding very interesting pockets of color and innovation.


Most of the tracks have a sharp guitar attack and bar stomping groove. The opener "Human Race" sounds like an unplugged Modest Mouse track while "Desert Run" evokes a more modern Eagles/America vibe. About half the tracks remain as instrumentals, perfect for a desert road trip. It is all tied together with a sweet, heartfelt cover of "Never Going Back Again" which serves to echo Willie's influences.

There is definitely something to be found in the fierce picking and strait forward delivery of Night Owl. It is full of wide open spaces and Willie's rugged good looks help to personify the "been lost in the desert for 30 days" aesthetic apparent in his latest release. It succeeds in transporting it's listener with little more then a pick and some thoughtful words.

Willie has been featured and buzzed about in some very high quality outlets including Spin and Relix. Check out his single below and connect by clicking the above photo.