Chicago singer/songwriter/musician Willis Earl Beal believes in himself, and unapologetically so. The self-taught musician, whose debut album Acousmatic Sorcery is out on XL Recordings, recently auditioned for the American version of Simon Cowell’s The X Factor show, in an unsuccessful bid for greater fame. And despite the excessive bravado, Beal shows real promise with his sparse, lo-fi emo-folk that calls upon vast and eclectic references from stomps to hip-hop, spoken word poetry to blues. The eleven songs were recorded on a cheap karaoke machine and originally released as part of a compilation by Found magazine, and while rough do emit a raw beauty that is worth a listen. – Written by SMarx
SIMILAR | Cold Specks, Mirel Wagner, Wild Child