A look at some select releases that may be found well below the radar, but likely won’t be confined there for long.
Videos by American Songwriter
Brinsley Schwarz
Shouting At the Moon
(Fretsore Records)
The namesake of the storied pub rock band that brought Nick Lowe to his particular prominence early on, Brinsley Schwarz can claim a storied career. Although he loaned instrumental support to any number of prominent artists and ensembles in the post-punk era of British rock—Ducks Deluxe, Dave Edmunds, Drs Feelgood, and The Kursaal Flyers, among the many—Schwarz himself has released only three albums under his own aegis. That makes Shouting At the Moon an auspicious event, as the title alone might imply. Happily, then, it lives up to expectations, although the soulful sway that pervades most of the album, courtesy of songs such as “What In the World” and “Falling Over Backward,” may take fans familiar with his earlier rock regiment by surprise. Clearly, this is a more mature artist who’s piloting this project, although at age 78, that’s to be expected. Fortunately, Schwarz isn’t ready to be confined to the rearview mirror. Shouting at the Moon shows he’s still able to howl.
Paul Burch
Cry Love
(independent release)
Released simultaneously with his debut novel Meridian Rising, Cry Love makes for a surprisingly upbeat set of songs that arrives without pomp or pretense. The songs that dominate the album come across as breezy, good-natured affirmation of the good life enjoyed by a singer/songwriter who joyfully navigated the clubs and live venues that dominate his Nashville stomping grounds. The big beat “Close To Love” sounds like it was derived from the radio-ready environs of the ‘50s and ‘60s as imagined by Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. The instrumental trappings of “Rice Pudding” are as inviting as the name implies, while the easy and inviting tones of “Chemistry,” “Step Out,” “Don’t Forget To Come Back Home,” and “One If By Land” ring with their own pure pop precision. Burch closes the album with a brief take on Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” offering further evidence of the fact that music can be a source of merriment and amusement even in times of difficulty and distress. Amen to that.
Dan Arwady
The Weight Of Love
(Independent release)
Dan Arwady is an able musician, charting songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His 2025 singles “Somebody Else” and “Cold in Memphis” earned major attention on both sides of the Atlantic. The Weight of Love offers a further demonstration of the prowess that Arwady has at his command. His songs are singular statements that reflect an earnest and engaging point of view, with influences gleaned from the likes of artists like Ray LaMontagne, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and other intrepid troubadours who have taken a similar stance. Yet, at the same time, songs such as “Somebody Else,” “Seems Just Like A Week Ago,” “California,” and “Sit” rely on a personal perspective and a casual caress. The fanciful-sounding “Place That I Know Well,” the upbeat entreaty of “Carry With You” and the smooth groove that carries “Who I Am, What I Love” and “Where There’s Nowhere” serve to belie that notion to a certain degree. An album full of pleasant persuasion, The Weight Of Love is nevertheless a decidedly emotive effort, one that finds a romantic notion in full focus throughout.
Tommy Womack
Live A Little
(School Kids Records)
The collaboration between veteran Americana singer/songwriter Tommy Womack and prolific producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel has resulted in what can truly be called an album for the ages. Indeed, the elements that distinguish the auspiciously dubbed Live A Little lie in its meaning and messaging overall. A provocative combination of perceptive songwriting and meaningful messaging, the songs stem from an individual who views life with a decidedly jaundiced disposition, one who’s experienced any number of its failings and foibles along the way. The only thing that makes sense of it all is speed, weed and alcohol, he insists in the riveting and restless opening track. The tracks that follow—the melancholic “I Guess We’re At That Age,” an insistent “Waiting For the Punchline,” the dark and dire “Hoboken,” the driving and determined “Underneath the Water Tower Again” and “Horny Mormon”—echo that pessimistic posture courtesy of a certain cynicism and sarcasm that finds all the cards laid on the table for all to see. Still, the song that hits the hardest is the edgy and emphatic “Just Another Shooting.” Written in the aftermath of the 2023 shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, it calls out the apathy and hypocrisy that finds pundits and politicos turning a blind eye to the seemingly endless cycle of violence and apparent indifference. Consider Live A Little a clarion call to shed our blinders once and for all.
Terry Klein
Hill County Folk Music
(independent)
If ever a title was true to its content, then consider Hill County Folk Music to be the definition of descriptive. Once a lawyer, an aspiring politician, and, perhaps most surprisingly, a heavy metal maven, Terry Klein now garnered a reputation as one of Austin’s top singer/songwriters. With four critically-acclaimed albums under his belt, he continues his association with renowned producer Thom Jutz. The new album finds Klein in a mostly amiable mood, taking an easygoing posture in tandem with a steady stance. Opening track “Try” sets the standard, a low-key offering shared in the form of a homespun homily. The songs that follow maintain that folklike finesse, from the upbeat assessment of “I Used To Be Cool” and the ragged resolve of “My Next Birthday,” to the easy embrace of “The Job Interview Song” and the true-to-life tale of “Hopelessness Is Going Around.” The sprightly sound of “The Dirty Third” and the beautiful ballad tellingly titled “A Quiet Place To Sit” add to the ambiance. This unassuming ambiance serves Klein well, proof positive that one doesn’t need to shout to be heard.
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