Laney Jones - “Stay At Home”

photo by erin folk

As she prepares for her trek from Nashville to SXSW, Laney Jones has released the raw and gritty sounds of “Stay At Home,” a dark, seething anthem for introversion.

For those of you keeping score, “Stay At Home” checks off all of our boxes for lo-fi rock. It begins with a few bars of whimsically strummed guitar before Jones’ voice drops in and completely sweeps you off of your feet. We often reject submissions for not bearing any semblance to Big Thief or Courtney Barnett, but we are very pleased to inform you that a great deal of that vibe resides within “Stay At Home.”

The second verse invites the sounds of a raw drum kit, providing the production with a hefty dose of forward momentum. A stellar vocal harmony falls into place and some round bass is deployed, each adding a great deal of width to the arrangement. Ear candy emerges in the form of vibey guitar layers, which reverberate themselves near the edges of psychedelia.

But the star of this show is definitely Jones’ vocal performance; imbued with an emotional grit, we find ourselves wanting much more of it, especially as it rises to its peak on the hook. Sometimes a bit Adrianne Lenker, sometimes a little Jade Bird, Jones’ voice is one of the best we’ve heard for the genre and we are suddenly extremely jealous of everyone able to experience it live at SXSW.

-HD