New singles spotlight

Posted on by Edwin Arnaudin

No time to hear a full album? Give these standout singles by local artists a spin.

Unspoken Tradition, “Irons in the Fire”

The Western North Carolina bluegrass ensemble recruited songwriter Aaron Bibelhauser for this ode to the day jobs and side gigs that many professional musicians must undertake. “No matter how much work there is left to do, or how challenging the road ahead appears, freedom lies in the path forward — the journey, not the destination,” Bibelhauser says. Lead singer Audie McGinnis smoothly expresses these sentiments over active, complementary mandolin and banjo. avl.mx/am0

Rhinestone Pickup Truck, “Friends”

On the lead song off the Asheville-based garage rock/queer punk band’s new album, Sad Planet Part One, Tristen Colby deftly conveys feelings of isolation through distorted vocals that feel right at home over the track’s driving guitars and drums. Done in just over 90 seconds, the single sets the tone for subsequent brief but compelling tunes, none of which clock in at longer than three minutes. The complete version of Sad Planet was released on Oct. 31. avl.mx/am1

Shadow Paint, “I Lied”

Sleepy Poetry’s Jody Bettencourt describes her new experimental solo project, Shadow Paint, as falling “into the realm of odd pop/bedroom pop.” As with Rhinestone Pickup Truck, brevity is the name of the game across this self-titled, four-track EP, which is held together by Bettencourt’s dreamy, electronically manipulated vocals and layered instrumentation, building to “I Lied,” the album’s closer that resembles a lost track by The xx. avl.mx/am2

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin
View all posts by Edwin Arnaudin →

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