If you’ve ever wondered what Nick Cave fronting Morphine might sound like (and really, who hasn’t?) chances are it would be a lot like Whitney Walker’s latest, A Dog Staring Into a Mirror on the Floor. And from the album title alone you know this is not standard fare pop music.
Whitney Walker, a singer/songwriter out of Portland, Maine, knows a thing or two about darkness—and hopes that singing about his own can offer a bit of light. His new album, A Dog Staring Into a Mirror on the Floor, reflects that in its name.
Listen to an exclusive preview of A Dog Staring Into a Mirror on the Floor at Paste Magazine.
For every Nikki Lane and Margo Price, there is a Courtney Marie Andrews- one who soars beneath the bigger headlines yet has a songbook that rivals that of those selling out theaters. Throw Karen Jonas into the latter category where her angelic vocals and mix of gritty Americana and brass pop will rear her into one of many artistic categories.
“There’s a deep sense of sadness at the heart of ‘Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs’… it’s somber and reflective but it’s ultimately a song about trying to forgive and move forward… a full and melancholy sound, but particular praise goes to Dana Colley, whose bass clarinet really helps to give ‘Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs’ its identity.”
Portland, Maine indie-noir singer-songwriter Whitney Walker’s new single “Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs” carries a dark folk-rock melancholy weight. It’s a direct quote from the priest at his cousin’s wedding while Walker was dealing with the pain of an unfaithful fiancée. “Nobody would accuse me of being perfect except god,” sings Walker over Crooked Fingers style fingerpicked guitar and Colley’s somber bass clarinet.
“I don’t believe in God,” says Walker, “but I believe something’s out there. This is a divine intervention song. I’ve been far from perfect. I’ve been emotionally unavailable to people, and it took me a long time to figure that out.”
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Karen Jonas’ song “Paris Breeze” from her forthcoming album The Restless, due to be available on March 3. The Restless was produced and arranged by Seth Morrissey and Karen Jonas; recorded, engineered and mixed by Blaine Misner at Cue Recording Studios in Falls Church Va. Cover art for the album was created by Print Jazz.