Langhorne Slim is an artist who has me excited; the quintessential “everyman” performer, he is a singer who seems to truly embrace his flaws… and then run with them.
Langhorne Slim (photo credit: Crackerfarm)
The 27-year-old Slim, aka Sean Scolnick, is a proponent of that frenetic folk-rock of which I’m such a fan; but he manages to do it with an authenticity that sets him apart from the crowd. The sound in his records is… well, raw, in the best sense of the word, and sometimes so crazed that the imperfections in his voice come cracking through… but you love him all the more for it.
Really, Langhorne Slim mixes folk, blues, and rock in a way that few others can. And while his sophomore self-titled disc – which came out last week – isn’t as raw as his past release, “When the Sun’s Gone Down”, and his “Engine” EP, there’s still enough soul, fire, and warmth in his recordings to pull you in; particularly in the cracked-voice chorus of “Diamonds and Gold”.
“A tough day at the office,
And a worse night at home
Don’t wanna talk about it
Just wanna be left alone”
– Langhorne Slim, “Diamonds and Gold”
Langhorne Slim has also released the gorgeous video to his first single from the album, “Rebel Side of Heaven”, which contains perhaps one of my favourite refrains ever, with the words:
“Although we’ve sinned all our lives, we’re not going to hell.
We’re going to the rebel side of heaven.”
– Langhorne Slim, “The Rebel Side of Heaven”
The video itself is one of the most beautifully-shot music videos I’ve ever seen, with rich vibrant colours and stark shadows. I’ve included it below for you visual pleasure.
Ultimately, I suppose what truly draws me in to Langhorne’s music is his unbridled passion. I hope it does the same for you.
I really couldn’t decide on which tracks to include below, so I thought I would include one from each of his last three releases. The first is the stunning track, “In the Midnight“, from the aforementioned release, “When The Sun’s Gone Down“, which displays his bluegrass influences and contains an awesome banjo accompaniment. The second is his track, “Restless“, which originally appeared on his “Engine” EP, but has gained a new life as a re-release on the new self-titled release; and finally, “Diamonds and Gold“, from that self-titled release.
Listen. Love. Support.
Listen: Langhorne Slim – In The Midnight
Listen: Langhorne Slim – Restless
Listen: Langhorne Slim – Diamonds and Gold