Indie folk act Chuck Ragan has been hard at it, spending the past few years compiling a series of folk songs that jump out and grab you. Something May Catch Fire sparks his latest album Til Midnight. The 39 year old singer and guitarist for Hot Water Music knows how to ebb and flow songwriting into hooks and reels that sync with fans who want something other than a guitar with a beat.
Til Midnight isn’t a tour de force of folk songwriting but it does leave a mark. For me it was an introduction to Chuck Ragan and his vocal styles, his poetic use of metaphors to paint powerful song pictures, and in some ways a revelation of what alternative and folk sound like when mixed properly. Something May Catch Fire is the single his label (SideOneDummy/Dine Alone Records) is promoting, but another equally great tune from this album is Non Typical (feat. Jenny O), which contains one of the best hooks for a love song I’ve heard:
I need you like I need all of my blood and my brains
Swallow the sentimental truth that it’ll never be as good as it gets
I spend a lot of time curating new music from both known artists and unknown alike. Depending on how you get out and experience new things, Ragan is either a known commodity or a new name. Enjoy the music, check out the album and let his unique presence connect with you.