The kind of folk that is hard to ignore.

The best kind of folk music tells old stories in a new way. In his third full length release, Nashville based folk artist Stone Jack Jones wields together a haunting and powerful narrative of his upbringing in coal towns. This isn‰’t a catchy Mumford “folk‰” album full of flower and mason jars. Ancestry is full of everything we love about folk: delicate banjo picking, a touch of harmonica, drawling melodies, and layered harmonies. But it is mixed and recorded with something extra thrown onto every track: on “Black Coal‰” it sounds like the spokes of bicycle tires clicking by, on “The State I‰’m In‰” a bass and horn makes the track a delight far beyond what was expected. The album is subtle and doesn‰’t overwhelm with the folk instrumentals, yet draws you in with its intricacies and eerie ghost like stories.

RIYL: Hang Vegas, The Sun Dogs, Thunderegg
Recommended: 1, 5, 6