Karen Jonas - “Paris Breeze”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Waxahatchee, Nikki Lane, Sierra Ferrell

Karen Jonas’ fifth full-length The Restless just came out this Friday and it is the most rocking of her catalog, connecting traditional country music with tinges of tight, indie rock. It feels like exactly the right space for the otherwise throwback, Americana artist, going for a richer, more modern sound while still staying connecting to where she came from. While it’s a slightly different grounding for the Virginian artist as her music could come out of Laurel Canyon in the 70s on The Restless, a method that shows how closely that sound resembles the Western roots that so defined her earlier records. Check out Karen Jonas showcasing at Saxon Pub on Thursday night. (Kevin McStravick) 

2022 Review: Americana artist Karen Jonas has been busy through the pandemic, releasing full-length The Southwest Sky and Other Dreams and last year’s Summer Songs EP, both continuing her traditionalist songwriting and pastoral tones. Soft country ballads anchor Jonas’s catalog, letting slide guitars and laid-back percussion back her delicate and rich vocal melodies. The reliable Virginian artist gets that less is more when it comes to resonant country songs, letting melody and timeless songwriting rise to the surface throughout her consistent catalog.