Eleni Drake - “Guts"

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Lucy Dacus, Julie Byrne, Jess Williamson

Eleni Drake’s music is often accompanied by the normal tenets of folk music - acoustic guitar, vocals, and quiet accompaniment - yet the warmth on her latest record Surf The Sun is notable beyond expectations. She balances lo-fi intimacy and fuller tones in a way that prevents quiet music from becoming too sleepy, achieving impact with a whisper and embracing the space between the notes. Jazz, R&B, and rock inflections find their way into Surf The Sun as well, but in an understated way that still maintains the plaintive spirit that makes these songs so comforting. There’s a back catalog of a couple EPs and Drake’s debut full-length Can’t Stop The Dawn as well, sweetly consistent and a natural build to sparse power of this latest release. (Kevin McStravick)