As it turns out I've been playing tracks from Shakey Graves since 2022. It was his co-lead with Sierra Farrell that originally caught my attention. I am happy to report that there are still artists that are out there getting by purely on talent, originality, and distinctive vocal performance.

It's the roots element that provides a throughline from country, to folk, to rock: the live drums, the bass guitar, the vocal takes that feel natural. In a pop landscape of auto-tuned vocals, the niche left over for singers that can still hit the notes in person is not to be underestimated. You could make the argument that organic soul-inspired music is more relevant than ever, precisely because the gap between a shared humanity and the modern individual is getting bigger every day. The music centers us. The songs bring us together–sometimes physically, always emotionally–as a welcome patch of shared ground in a world of shallow connection.

Against that canvas, Austin-based Shakey Graves presents a string-laden cover of Frankie Sunswept’s wistful love song. A throwback to the corner store crushes of yesteryear, Graves adds his best stripped-down acoustic slow burn to this venerable pop classic, resulting in a slick romance between the 1960's Top 40 radio aesthetic and a modern chamber pop. It's a proud celebration of everything beautiful about the human spirit: love, commitment, and creative inspiration.

On his fifth studio album, Fondness, Etc., Graves reflects on the quiet grief and gratitude that come with growing up. Featuring nine lived-in songs with a folk-leaning intimacy, the album wrestles with the tension between holding onto who you’ve been and making room for who you’re becoming, as time and the people in our lives inevitably reshape us.

Having emerged from Austin's DIY scene primarily as a one-man band armed with a guitar and suitcase kick drum, Shakey Graves continues to embrace primarily organic elements of the writing process: the unplanned moments, the ambient textures, and the improvised flow of an analog signal path. Empty space as a conscious choice.

When I listen to the music of Shakey Graves, I feel connected to the roots of a very promising career. FONDNESS, ETC. represents an important step forward for Shakey Graves into the spotlight that he so richly deserves.

Time flies when you’re with the one you love  
Moments pass by like flocks in the sky above
Only a fool and his pride will tell you time’s on your side
’Cause time flies
When you’re with the one you love

Visit Shakey Graves on Instagram.