New singles spotlight

Posted on by Edwin Arnaudin

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

Andrew Scotchie, “Santa Is Real”

Following up last year’s emotionally rich, yet melancholic “My First Christmas Without You,” recorded with his band The River Rats, the Asheville-based singer/songwriter pivots to childlike wonder with this new holiday track. Over a bright synth backdrop and a steady beat, Scotchie’s ambiguously aged narrator makes humorously confident justifications for the existence of Kris Kringle & Co., including, “Mrs. Claus ain’t one of my in-laws/Mama leaves her cookies out just because.” The gifted guitarist then tops the sonic tannenbaum with yet another ripping guitar solo that will make listeners believe in Father Christmas — as well as the power of rock ’n’ roll. avl.mx/axp

Moses Sumney, “Bystanders (in space)”

One of Asheville’s most famous musical transplants, the singer-songwriter and his band recorded Live From Blackalachia (out Friday, Dec. 10) in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina in summer 2020. The collection features tracks from his studio albums Græ and Aromanticism — including this impressive upper-register vocal workout over a simple walking synth melody. The Sumney-directed, one-take film, Blackalachia, will accompany the album. “Over the course of two days, we filmed 14 songs, totally live, the trees as our audience, the grasshoppers our background singers,” he says in a press release. “Live From Blackalachia is a wild imagining of what can happen when we seek not just to reclaim nature, but to reintegrate with it.” avl.mx/axq

Caitlin Krisko and The Broadcast, “Burn One Down”

Recently renamed to spotlight its powerhouse singer/songwriter — a move supported and encouraged by the band — the local rock group closes out 2021 with this country-tinged tribute to departed old friends. While Krisko is known for belting out epic vocals (and indeed goes fairly big on this chorus), she takes a pleasantly relaxed approach overall to fit the sorrowful subject matter and subdued instrumentation, which finds smooth, fingerpicked acoustic guitar mixing well with organ and strings. “I’m looking forward to sharing more of myself with you in 2022 and can’t wait to see y’all on the road at a Caitlin Krisko and The Broadcast show,” she says. avl.mx/axu

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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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