There’s no shortage of singer-songwriters in any and every aspect of the music industry. From a stage at Madison Square Garden to the second stall of a truckstop bathroom in Atlanta, I’d bet my last five dollars you could easily find yourself a storytelling song slinger of some kind. They come in all ages, shapes and sizes, and from all corners of the Earth. One important thing a lot of these singer-songwriters lack though, is the the sense of authenticity.
Just about anyone can strum a few clumsy chords on a beat up acoustic guitar and mumble a few nonchalant into a microphone, but not every one of them can bring you to your knees with heart wrenching honesty and painful beauty. In fact, I can count on one hand how many times a person moved me to tears with just a guitar and a microphone. Among those times was my first listen to Adam Faucett.
Formerly a member of Russleville Arkansas based band Taught The Rabbits, Faucett has been performing as a solo artist since 2006. With a handful of albums now under his belt, he’s played coffee houses, open mics, and even internationally in support of acts such as Damien Jurado and Lucero just to name a few. The credibility Faucett has earned has been solely from his artistry and not the superficial push of major labels or the big media machine.
The Lynchburg Virginia based, indie label Lazy Boy Record Co. has just recently released a vinyl only single California / Salton Sea. Two selections from early in Faucett’s solo career on a very limited pressing. Along with a few special variants, there’s also an extremely limited, color changing record, that will certainly find it’s way on any collector’s list of most sought out indie singles.
The title track “California” begins as a delicate acoustic ballad with minimal instrumentation, that builds in scope with a bass heavy kickdrum and tasteful electric guitar slides, as Faucett’s Cat Power meets Jesse Malin vocals come front and center. No matter what the lyrics tell you at face value, it sounds like a song of hurt, regret and loss and every single note is powered by raw emotion like only a few have ever fully utilized without being pretentious.
Side B’s “Salton Sea” is a medium paced folk jam carried by a plucky, yet confident nylon string guitar riff. Faucett’s vocals are haunting and mysterious telling the story without straying too far from a simple register. The ominous vibe is a completely different beast when compared to Side A, but equally as interesting, it’s almost like he sings directly from his soul into your ears. I actually got a bit emotional upon my first listen to “California” and by the time “Salton Sea” was finished, I was a life long fan.
With only a few albums in his catalog, this Lazy Boy Record Co. release acts as the perfect introduction to Faucett’s brand of music. It’s really hard to describe just what genre his music falls into. It’s part folk, country, soul and maybe even a hint of jazz. All genres aside, he is truly a treasure in both artistry and authenticity. I can’t believe I’ve went this long without hearing his music. In only 2 songs, I’ve already made up my mind that Adam Faucett is one of the most gifted singer songwriters in the last 25 years at least. I dare you to buy this single and tell me otherwise.
To purchase California / Salton Sea, please visit Lazy Boy Record Co.
For more information on Adam Faucett, please visit www.AdamFaucett.com
