Christopher Paul Stelling – Songs of Praise & Scorn (2012)

First impressions count for a lot with records. How you choose to start an album can influence the listeners’ feelings about the rest of its contents. The first few seconds of ‘Mourning Train To Memphis’, which kicks off Songs Of Praise And Scorn tell us exactly at which end of the singer/songwriter spectrum Christopher Paul Stelling falls. With feverishly plucked strings and a distinct Southern US twang to his voice, Stelling has very firmly nailed his colours to the country mast. Indeed, ‘Mourning Train…’ gives a very precise introduction to the Stelling sound. Backed by minimal accompaniment, Stelling seems to rely almost exclusively on the intricate picking of his guitar to create a sense of mood, with only the occasional hint of strings and basic percussion added in. This gives Stelling’s voice, which is strong yet allowing a sliver of melancholia to slip in, a suitable platform to sit on.