I was given this five-song demo to listen to by our fearless leader here at Folktowne. The artist is Ben Rothermel. I had heard the name but hadn’t yet heard any of his music. I had no idea what I was missing! By the time I had finished listening I was a fan of this young singer/songwriter. To be honest, it didn’t actually take all five songs. By the end of the second track I was hooked.

With the exception of the first track (“Beautiful”) the production on this demo is just basic guitar and voice (with some harmonica thrown in for good measure). But that is enough. His songwriting is a strong and unique voice that communicates with the listener. Although not a great singer in the classic sense, his voice perfectly puts across the mood of the songs, personifying the vulnerability and hope that I hear in this music.

Given the strength of this effort, I can’t wait to hear a full-fledged CD project from this very promising young artist.