Griffin House - The Learner

Nashville-based Griffin House singer/songwriter has never been about grand gestures and big statements. He doesn't pander, pout or play it safe. When you watch him play live or listen to any of his excellent, quietly profound albums, you realize pretty quickly that for House the song is king. A naturally insightful storyteller who always manages to find an unexpected and nuanced twist in his words and melodies -- one described it as "an arsenal of pitches that boasts both a wicked curveball and changeup" -- House has been garnering comparisons to Jackson Browne, Ryan Adams and Bruce Springsteen while contentedly remaining out of the glaring lights of the commercial center stage.

New album The Learner, arriving June 22 via Nettwerk, finds the Ohio-raised 30-year-old shifting slightly towards a slightly brisker pace, adding a few well-placed uptempo tracks -- including the tongue-in-cheek three-chord rocker "She Likes Girls" and Chris Isaak-styled "Just Another Guy" -- to his repertoire of thoughtful balladry. For those who gravitate towards the quieter fare, there's still an abundance: the jangling shuffle of "River City Lights" (featuring a lovely duet with Alison Krauss), the darkly resonating "Let My People Go" and spacious shimmer of "Rule This World" all have that special Griffin House touch of expressive warmth and easy, down-to-earth directness. Highly recommended.

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Griffin House - "River City Lights" (from the album The Learner)

Griffin House - "She Likes Girls" (from the album The Learner)