Tag Archive for indie folk

Fields of Gold: Singer-songwriter Chris Pureka

For every mood, there’s a song. There are the ones you play as you prepare for a night on the town; anthemic and unyielding. There are those you play when you’re staying in and cooking dinner; comforting and familiar. And then there are those you need for late night drives, with a mind full of thoughts and an uncertain heart. These are the moments that call for the music of someone like Chris Pureka.

Pureka is a master of atmosphere, using delicate acoustic picking and the husky timbre of her voice to tell the tale. Her songs are slow, measured and contemplative. At times they swell with steel and falsetto, but for the most part they unfold with the low rumble of an approaching storm.

On “California” Pureka sings of “what to bring and what to leave behind” on the drive out West. “You’ve got your clothes / You’ve got your Steinbeck novel / You’ve got your wine glasses / You’ve got your summer sandals.” The visceral imagery combines with Pureka’s spare strumming to create music that brims with raw, but muted, emotion. It may not be the Dust Bowl of Steinbeck’s time, but it’s still pretty gritty.

There really are too few artists out there who offer a great deal on a pair of shoes with their music. Fortunately, Justin Branam is one of them. The singer-songwriter recently partnered with Toms Shoes—revealing not only altruistic inclinations, but savvy marketing skills as well.

Of course, you don’t need promotional ploys to get sweet on Branam. His music is enough of an enticement. With a timbre that recalls Isaac Slade or Gary Jules, Branam delivers dusty and desolate songs that will have indie folk lovers at “hello.” By incorporating a string quartet on his new record (Introducing Justin Branam), the songwriter adds a romantic expanse to his material that’s easy to fall for. Case in point: the beguiling slow waltz of “Come Home.” However, Branam’s composition skills are equally effective when he gets creative — like on his cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” where he lets a Casio keyboard share some of the spotlight.

To date, Branam has shared the stage with the likes of The John Butler Trio, Mat Kearney and Mute Math. The next time he’s even remotely close to your area, we suggest you put your Toms on and catch him.