2018 Year End Longlist, Part 4

Neko Case - Hell-On [Anti-]



Marisa Anderson - Cloud Corner [Thrill Jockey]



Rosehardt - Songs in the Key of Solitude [Independent]



Shawn Lee & the Soul Surfers - Shawn Lee & the Soul Surfers [Independent]



Hilary Woods - Colt [Sacred Bones]



Oracle Hysterical - Hecuba [National Sawdust Tracks]



Natalie Evans - Better At Night [Small Pond]



Kamaal Williams - The Return [Black Focus Records]



Blood Wine or Honey - Fear & Celebration [Do Right! Music]



Chancha Via Circuito - Bienaventuranza [Wonderwheel Recordings]



Makaya McCraven - Where We Come From [International Anthem]



Boyhood - Bad Mantras [Independent]



Remember Sports - Slow Buzz [Father/Daughter]



Alekesam - Sound Proof Heart [Alpha Pup]



Hop Along- Bark Your Head Off, Dog [Saddle Creek]

Natalie Evans - "In Trees"

It's not in service of '90s Britpop, but Natalie Evans vocals' make me recall Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays as both share a breathy delivery and an effortlessly high vocal range. On "In Trees" (below) and the rest of Better At Night, Evans blends folk and pop in equal measure and has me thinking back to favourite songs from Harmony Trowbridge and Casey Dienel. Evans plays guitar, piano and harp (check out "Empty Rooms and Aeroplanes' for the harp highlight) and knows which instrument to employ on each song for maximum musical effect. With no song nearing the 3:30 mark and a few just cracking one minute, this is an all-too-brief glimpse at a talent on the rise.