Hi Pal,
2023 was a year of musical discovery and I stepped into 2024 with a lot of new artists in my library that I did not get a chance to write about in any significant fashion.
One of those artists is Joseph Cutshall, a musician based in Boulder. In terms of sound, he exists around indie rock and folk and the quality of the production on his 2023 album, Stay Close, is so good that I’m still having a hard time believing that it is his debut.
The album dropped in October of last year and any of the songs there could have been a spotlight tune because it’s one of those records that has no skippable song. A song like South of West has heartland rock feels that I adore, and tunes like Bury Me Deeper and Breaking at the Bones, exist as the emotional cores of the album.
I picked Heart of the Seas for this spotlight because, at the time of writing this, I was in a post-punk revival mood and the song has been my comfort tune for the past few days.
It’s funny that I have written four paragraphs without speaking about Joseph Cutshall’s defining musical trait — his lyricism. I can talk about the technical side of his sound all day long but the things that drew me in were his message and his voice. On, Heart of the Seas, we have a song inspired by the story of Jonah in the Bible. It is crafted in such a way that if you are familiar with the story, you know what he is talking about almost immediately; but even if you don’t know the story, the song still draws you into its narrative and the core message still finds you if you open yourself to it.
Through the blinding rain
In the raging storm
And the darkest nights I've ever seen
You have brought me up
I have called your name
From the roots of mountains in the deep
From the heart of the seas
He doesn’t set out to be cryptic with his words, but there is a clear knack for storytelling that permeates his writing style and this creates a more wholesome listening experience.
So, as we wait for all the amazing new music that this new year has for us, I would encourage you to listen to one of my favourite songs (and albums) of last year.
Do you like reviews? If yes, read here. If not, I guess that’s fine.
Also, if you’re open to supporting my work, consider Buying Me A Coffee.
I’m always ready to hear what you have to say, tell me your thoughts.