Not long ago, a regular IRC listener tipped us off to the impressive recordings of Minneapolis experimental folk singer and songwriter Early Alan Younger, who is the latest to be featured in the popular Artist of the Week series.
As with so many artists we feature on IRC, Younger is a largely unknown figure in the national indie folk music movement, which we hope to help change with this profile. In fact, in a Google search for his name, there are only a few entries, and therefore, we don’t have much information about him. The Minneapolis based blog, The Current, wrote of the new EP, Hotcake Waltz, that “there always seems to be a little too much folk rock in the Midwest that doesn’t quite stand out. But Early Alan Younger seems to have no interest in appeasing the masses with easy listening. What we have here instead is moody, early Luke Temple vibes.”
Younger crafts emotive, heart-felt and well-honed folk songs that have been fully realized with the help of a newly recruited band (no indication if they will become a permanent band). Younger teamed up with local musicians Neil Weir and Magneto member Dave Gardner, as well as Aaron LeMay (Diver Dress) on drums and Tony Najm (formerly of the Alarmists) on bass.
This is Younger’s first EP of a three-part EP series he plans to release during 2013. The lead track, “Good Friend,” is a hazy, lo-fi acoustic romp that has a hauntingly melodic allure supported by his backup band and Younger’s poignant lyrics and vocals. The title track has almost a New Orleans funeral march aspect to it, wrapped in electric guitar distortion and a catchy, deep hook bass – a track that is, as mentioned earlier about Younger’s music in general, hard to categorize. Listen to the other two tracks from the EP via his Bandcamp page.
“Good Friend” – Early Alan Younger from The Hotcake Waltz EP
“The Hotcake Waltz” – Early Alan Younger from The Hotcake Waltz EP
“Highway Overpass” – Early Alan Younger from The Hotcake Waltz EP
