Joan Shelley: ?Cost of the Cold b/w Here and Whole

It’s easy to focus on her voice — which again is sublimely dulcet and entirely delightful — but what tends to get overlooked with folk or Americana is the acumen that goes into the song crafting. There is such a limited scope of music — a three-piece featuring two acoustic guitars; a multi-instrumentalist who offers light percussion, dobro, bass, keys; and, of course, Shelley’s wonderful voice. So, it’s easy to forget how much space is being taken up, and in such a beautiful way. This is a perfect, if all too brief, single that captures Shelley at her very best, which given her prior output is an accomplishment in and of itself.