Portland, Oregon’s Ezra Bell was founded by the Americana/roots music singer/songwriter Benjamin Wuamett, and the band mixes elements of folk, jazz, blues, indie rock, and r&b with clever storytelling. Ezra Bell follows a string of excellent EP’s, Don’t All Look Up at Once (2013), We Came by Canoe (2015), and Farewell Griffin (2016) with their self-titled full-length debut. A few album highlights include: the catchy toe-tapper “Tourists”; the socio-political lament “A Drink from the Trough”; the introspective “Fluoridated Water”; and the tongue-in-cheek closing track “You’re More ‘Fun’ When You’re Using.” Ezra Bell is a bit hard to classify and their mash-up of different musical genres sets them apart from other bands doing similar things, giving them a unique sound. If you’re looking for something fresh to hear, give these guys a listen and be sure to catch them live. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | The Head and the Heart, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros