Joseph Bones - “California’s Gold”

We know very little about Joseph Bones. We know that this is his debut and that he’s from Athens, GA. We know that he likes Watchhouse enough to cover “Calvary” and post it to YouTube. And we also know that his new track, “California’s Gold,” is one of the best songs that you’re going to hear today...

When we first heard “California’s Gold,” we could not believe that this dude wasn’t already famous. The track starts off innocently enough, with a trusty acoustic guitar and vocals that have a fantastic Gregory Alan Isakov vibe (one of our favorite indie folk singers of all time). Perhaps this is why we fell in love with this track– or it could be those delightful harmonies that Bones manages to nail into all the right corners to ensure that his craftsmanship is sound. And these elements would be more than enough to earn a spot on our blog, but then he goes and throws in the rhythm section– bass, drums, cinematic keys– it’s all suddenly here and it’s the kind of melodic excellence that will take your breath away if you let it. Once you acclimate to these new sonic surroundings, he hits you with an ethereal guitar lead, as good as anything Lord Huron loads into their records, before dialing it back down to just his vocal and an acoustic. He remains here, serenading his listener, then bringing everything back for an elevated conclusion. What a fantastic track.

From what we understand, “California’s Gold” is one of three songs being released today in a collection entitled Neon Dream. So now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to hunt down the other two songs and spend some more time inside of this sonic bliss. Major kudos, Mr. Bones!

-TM