Taste Test: Old Bill Henry sets his ‘Priorities’ straight
A voice soaked in rasp, the Americana newcomer hits a home run on his debut single.
Welcome to Taste Test, a song/video review series of SubmitHub-only gemstones
We trip through life just trying to make sense of it all. We’ll fail, that’s to be sure, yet it’s what we do afterward that really matters. Spooky Americana singer-songwriter Old Bill Henry, possessing a rasp-drenched voice, is an unmistakable force with his debut single. It’s hard to imagine that “Priorities,” which quickly vaults into a cinematic masterpiece, textured with noir-ish string work and twinkling piano, is his first entry. “You’re flipping through a magazine / You see your friends but you can’t read / So you smile at the picture,” he sings. He unpacks the kind of emotionally-gutting performance that is damn near timeless; and his imagery is painted with painstaking care, electric and relentless. A debut has never left such an imprint.
“Priorities” anchors an upcoming, yet-unnamed, album.
Listen below:
