Austin Basham - “Elephants”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 7

Pairs Well With…Gregory Alan Isakov, Bright Eyes, The Head and the Heart

Austin Basham’s 2018 full-length You and Me for Now nicely mixes the Austin-based artist’s pop-centered songwriting with traditional roots instrumentation, an emotive collection of sparse, acoustic ballads. There are Western motifs that accent songs like “Willow” and the cowboy-ramblers “New House” and “Foreign Town”, subtly adding drama to Basham’s often lonely sound. Overall, You and Me for Now is a pretty, pleasing half-hour of tasteful indie folk, a consistent listen for a solaced or romantic night. (Kevin McStravick)