Mid-Winter Blues
Self-Released, 2018
8/10
The Maine singer-songwriter Mike Stapleton has an impressive catalog to his credit, and this 2018 album seems quite fitting to sit down with considering most of us are dealing with all the elements of winter by now.
Stapleton starts the listen with the warm guitar lines and inviting drumming of the smooth folk sounds of the title track, and “Take My Breath Away” follows with a more firm approach of blues influenced song craft that’s not without plenty of soul, too.
As we get near the middle, the memorable guitar riff of “The Other Life” brings a playful quality to the jangly strummer, while “Two Dog Chase” illustrates Stapleton’s guitar and vocal prowess together in a bare but impactful setting. “New World”, one of the album’s best, then recruits a retro quality with frisky percussion amid a scrappy folk climate.
Towards the end, “Far And Few” offers a hypnotic tune of soft storytelling, and “Light On Ambition” exits the listen much like how it started, with Stapleton’s sincere singing meshing well with cautious guitar.
An artist with a no frills approach, like everything he’s done, Stapleton pens relatable songs that are genuine, timeless and full of fluid songwriting that will appeal to fans of folk, rock and blues.
Travels well with: Randy Lewis Brown- Red Crow; Chad Richard- Worthy Cause