I’m moving to Santa Cruz next year to start my Ph.D., so in honor of the area I thought today would be a perfect day to discuss an artist from that area I’ve been meaning to cover for months now. Reed KD is a Northern California native, whose been around for quite a while, but only came to my attention with the release of his new record The Ashes Bloom.
It’s another entry in the long tradition of acoustic folk-pop, but one of the stronger ones I’ve heard in a while. In particular, it really reminds me of that great Old Canes record from a few years that I absolutely adored. Acoustic instruments, a harmonica, blending together to make a romping tune for a backyard on a summer evening.
Easily my favorite song on the record is “Road Flares,” which is sounds like 60s folk-rock at its most infectious and is driven by a beautiful mandolin riff. But there’s plenty beyond that, from more traditional folk tunes, gentle guitar lines and quiet, introspective vocals (“Travel Sick Blues”), to breezy tunes that teeter on the brink of too-much-pop without quite tumbling over (“You Can Call Me”), to the bluegrass-infused picking of songs like “Three Long Years.”
There’s nothing earth-shattering going on here, but if you’re looking for a nice summer record in the folk tradition, it would be hard to go wrong with The Ashes Bloom. Reed KD is playing all across the country in the next few months – check here for tour dates.
Road Flares – Reed KD