Paint Horse
Good People, 2023
8/10
The multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Benjamin Dakota Rogers brings along an excellent cast of players for these Americana and rootsy tunes that showcases his distinct pipes and bluegrass friendly vision across 13 tracks.
“Little Old Paint Horse” starts the listen with warm acoustic guitar alongside Rogers’ poetic voice and Sam Clark’s stirring fiddle prowess, and “John Came Home’ follows with a more raw approach that benefits from Peter Klaassen’s well timed bass in the darker climate.
In the middle, “Wild Wind Can Have Me” flows with a sublime intimacy that showcases the expressive singing via the country and folk influences, while “Jeremiah” is a bit more firm and illustrates Rogers’ adaptive singing.
Closer to the end, “Charlie Boy” places Rogers on fiddle for the vivid storytelling of the mountain-esque album highlight, and “Goodnight V2” exits the listen with a dreamy, powerful and gorgeous closer that’s sparse yet absorbing.
A listen with an old time feel that suits his guttural singing, Rogers possesses a unique storytelling ability, and his roots/folk/Americana formula makes a lasting impression.
Travels well with: Victor Mucho- Moonlight In Visby; Travis Linville- I’m Still Here