Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter Michael Louis Austin crafts a dynamic, affecting sound on new album Hearts On Sleeves, venturing across ’90s alt-rock, country, Americana, and chamber-pop. Drawing inspiration from Neil Young’s Harvest Moon, The Wallflowers’ Bringing Down the Horse, and Tom Petty, Austin and producer Thaddeus Corea fuse heartfelt storytelling, twangy guitars, and lush arrangements into a collection of tracks that traverse hope, heartache, and self-reflection.
Austin’s heartfelt songwriting is on display right away with “Cinnamon,” a harmoniously impactful rocker written as an ode to his wife Rhonda. “We all dream of running into the right one,” his vocals ring out, delighting amidst warming organs and twangy guitars and into a sating guitar solo. The importance of having “somebody to lean on” continues to be bolstered via the magnetic vocals and triumphant rock production, with shades of Teenage Fanclub in the guitar tones. This excellent opener then ventures into the equally impactful “Paper Dolls,” channeling an alt-country briskness in its rollicking guitar twangs and spirited string-laden central refrain: “We don’t have to talk about it right now.”
Another standout track, “Unaware” is further exemplary of Austin’s knack for cinematic productions. Gentle strums and “won’t you please leave the lights on for me?” vocal vulnerabilities swell into gorgeous orchestral elements. A chamber-pop sophistication enamors with impressively colorful abundance, twinkling into a playful whistling effect as Austin’s lead vocals assume an optimistic glow. From expansive productions like “Unaware” to emotive doses of vigor like “Soulmates” and the rockin’ “Thousand Years,” Hearts On Sleeves is a riveting success of an album from Michael Louis Austin.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
