Curious about ambient Americana, but not sure if it’s for you? Ambient Americana is a genre of music that is ambient but utilizes traditional instruments you’d typically hear in Americana, bluegrass, or country. Think of it as maximum chill-out music with a country edge to it. And if you’re not sure how you feel about that description, give these four songs a playthrough to see if it’s for you.
1. “The Dance Of The Moon And The Sun” by Natural Snow Buildings
This would be a poor list if we didn’t include “The Dance Of The Moon And The Sun” by Natural Snow Buildings. This recent release, including the album of the same name, is one of the most stunning examples of ambient Americana out there today. The ideas are excellent and the execution is even better. It was originally released in the early 2000s, but luckily, NSB Archive re-released it. Avant-folk fans will adore it; it’s like a soundtrack to being a hitchhiker stuck in another dimension.
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2. “Last American Hero” by James Ferraro
The internet has allowed musicians to come and go at an alarmingly fast rate. James Ferraro is like a large stone in the center of that stream, and the ambient Americana music he made is more or less timeless. He basically invented vaporwave and hypnagogic pop, after all. “Last American Hero” is a classic song in the latter genre, and it’s irrevocably Americana. The album of the same name features “Adrenaline’s End” as well, which is delightful in its own right.
3. “You Are My Everlovin” by Henry Flynt
What do you get when you mix hillbilly tape jams with Hindu Ragas? You get “You Are My Everlovin” by Henry Flynt. “Celestial Power” is also noteworthy. The original version of these songs was released on a German cassette in 1981 and has since been re-released. Flynt was quite the master of America’s brand of weird in the 1960s through the 1980s, and this is a great sonic example of his ambient Americana works.
4. “Country Tropics” by Old Saw
Alright, we know this is an entire album. If we had to pick one song from it, we’d pick “Dirtbikes Of Heaven, Grains Of The Field”. However, the entirety of this 38-minute album feels like one long song, and not in a bad way. It’s psychedelic, kind of folk-drone, and hauntingly nostalgic. Listening to this outside in a field with headphones is an experience.
Photo via cover of ‘Country Tropics’ by Old Saw on Bandcamp
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