New York-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Lawrence will be coming to the Queen City for an intimate performance at the Loon Wine Bar in Northside. Traveling from his home state with stops along the way in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Lawrence is currently touring behind his fifth studio album, Rooftops in the Centerfold, released this past September. Lawrence, who has played with The Felice Brothers and Louisville native Ryan Davis, sounds particularly confident and composed on Rooftops. The songs evince a precision, a perfectionism – yet Lawrence never slips into the studio obsessiveness of, say, Steely Dan.
The album ranges from solo numbers like opener “Unbound,” a delicately fingerpicked reflection on a relationship coming apart like “a book found in a bar,” to a more full-band sound on the standout track “Only a Dream I Had.” Lush harmony vocals lift with airy woodwinds as a jazzy saxophone winds through the chorus. The gentle vocal melodies and warm major-seventh chords recall Kings of Convenience at times, but Lawrence has carved out his own voice while still tipping his hat to the ‘60s troubadours who paved the way. Lyrically, elemental words – rain, moon, love, teardrops, dreams – match the tone of the music perfectly. There is a melancholic wistfulness running through Lawrence’s work, like waking from a dream feeling somewhere between happy and sad.
Opening the evening is Cincinnati duo Yokefellow. The duo is a natural counterpart to Lawrence’s music. Songwriter Ryan Wells crafts poetic, folky tunes about wayward love and friendships lost, with a slight psychedelic bent, as if Mickey Newbury were backed by Brian Eno. Additionally, they’ll be joined by Matthew Wallenhorst of pity xerox on woodwinds and saxophone, adding a warm, textural shimmer to their sound.
The Loon is a fitting setting for these two acts. Small, relaxed and unhurried, The Loon is the kind of place where you can actually sit down and listen. So swing by, settle in with a glass of wine, and let the evening drift gently along, like a dream you’ll carry with you for a while.
Will Lawrence plays The Loon on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. More info: theloonwinebar.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Nov. 12 print edition.
This article appears in Nov. 12-25.