California native and Portland, OR based singer/songwriter Kevin Lee Florence has released his debut album, Given. It’s a polished collection of quirky indie folk along the lines of Sufjan Stevens, Damien Jurado, and Iron and Wine. The nine tracks are filled with finger-picked guitar, distinctive harmonies provided by his sister Kelly, and a talented backing band that involves Jon Button (Sheryl Crow), drummer James McAlister (Sufjan Stevens, Bill Frisell), guitarist Danny Donnelly, and Garth Hudson (The Band). Notable tracks include: the title track, covers of Paul Simon’s “Peace Like a River” and Damien Jurado’s “Ohio”, the slow-burning “Could Today Be the Day”, the pastoral “Shining Shining”, and opener “Alone & Everything.” Given is an impressive debut that keeps getting better with each listen. I look forward to seeing how Florence matures with future releases. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | The Band, Damien Jurado, Garth Hudson, Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens