John Craigie's been around. Next month's I Swam Here will be the Portland-based singer-songwriter's 10th full-length album. That means those of us popping in now are catching him in seasoned form. I hear echoes of fellow travelers like M. Ward and the late Justin Townes Earle in Craigie's folk-rock, and the man himself makes the Dylan connection for me in this press statement:
The majority of these songs were recorded on a nylon string guitar, which is a first for me. Similar to Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, there were two separate recording sessions in two separate locations with different musicians. This is because after New Orleans, three of the ten songs did not meet my vision, and it was not realistic to get back to New Orleans to re-record based on everyone’s schedule. The intention in the mixing is to not have the listener able to tell which ones were recorded where, but it’s possible some attentive ears will be able to.
The final advance single from I Swam Here, "Edna Strange," is out today. Though much of the album features the voice of Anna Moss, here Craigie opted for a trio of male backing vocalists, a move inspired by Marty Robbins. The soft touch of Max Bien Khan's nylon-stringed guitar and the textured, sighing quality of Craigie's voice might lower your guard for lines like "Who brings a pistol to a one-night stand?"
Below, hear "Edna Strange" along with prior singles "Dry Land" and "Fire Season."
I Swam Here is out 2/6 on Zabriskie Point Records. Pre-order or pre-save it here.
