Song \’ sóŋ\ n 2: A poetic composition. Music \’myü-zik \ n 2: an agreeable sound. To hear the work of Will Stratton is to experience music and song in both their simplest definitions while also swimming in their deepest of meaning. While the same could be said for many folk artists, Stratton offers us a sound keenly subtle and vast in spirit. His latest album, New Vanguard Blues, is constructed of sweetly singed words and melodies that are familiarly refreshing; songs that take the headache away …

Where have all the soft melodies gone? It seems that at one point, they were a must. But, to the wayside of electronic-induced euphoria and the return of avant garde, did all these sweet little surely dissipate from the mainstream? Will Stratton understands the significance of these beautiful little numbers. “Your California Sky”, from Stratton’s sophomore album No Wonder, is so entrancing in it’s simplicity it makes Belle & Sebastian seem like a post punk garage band screaming about the benefits of anarchy. This 22 …