L.A. musician and singer-songwriter Henry Wolfe has released the video for his lead single "Someone Else" off of his upcoming winsome, sunshiney full-length debut album "Linda Vista," due out April 5th. "Someone Else," is a gentle rocker about life changes, and the pleading, Nylon Magazine called it "Muppet Soul." Wolfe gives us the lovely, astute juxtaposition of a jaunty, minstrel refrain which belies the morose, introspective lyrics shuffling Bojangles-style right on past you, unless you're paying attention. Which I am, and you should too.The 31-year-old L.A. troubadour isn't as of yet, completely over the comparison. But what can I say? It's unbelievably rare to hear a current performer comfortably embrace the mischievous, soft-shoe pop that Nilsson once embodied so impeccably in the 60's and 70's. But now we have Wolfe, himself a poignant bard, who while putting his own reedy, soulful voice and modern-day stamp on it, still allows both Nilsson and the spirits of Cole Porter, Carol King, Randy Newman and Paul Williams to billow about his perfect confection of Broadway sass and breezy, California sunshine folk. His music is alternately jazzy and twangy, funky and soulful, channeling the best of the past for an audience of the present.
In era of dwindling attention spans, it is something of a shock to discover a musician who doesn't want to shock, who doesn't want to drive a dagger into the heart of modern music for fifteen megabytes of fame, who simply wants to write beautiful, timeless songs. But that's precisely what you hear when you listen to Wolfe's refreshingly tasteful new album "Linda Vista." A loose, dressed down affair, it captures the sound of real people in a room, playing together in real time. The result is an assuredly understated full-length debut. Inspired by the past, and informed by the present, the tunes on "Linda Vista" have a swing, a swagger and, most of all, a soul.
At once playful and earnest, Wolfe's music is an intoxicating brew: direct, unadorned language chased with sweet melodies that are sophisticated yet hummable. Musically, he speaks to me in ways that are both comforting and awe-inspiring at once. His songs trigger emotions that quickly transform from joy to sadness, but he delivers them in such a playful way that often, half way through a song, you forget why you were crying to begin with, or why you were happy in the first verse and now your soul is torn in two. But that's his gift. Armed with a guitar, a harmonica and a sly smile, he's poised to take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride and you won't even mind that you haven't been put on the guest list and are actually paying for the ticket.
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