Desert Pavement by ISMAY

When I first heard “When I Was Younger I Cried” off of Ismay’s debut record, Songs of Sonoma Mountain, it stopped me in my tracks. I’ll never forget that totally stunned feeling it gave me; it was haunting and desperately lonesome in the way that every quality American folk song is.

On their second full-length, Desert Pavement, Ismay (Avery Hellman) reaches for a sound more upbeat and forward-looking, but still swooningly beautiful. While Songs of Sonoma Mountain was a gentle masterpiece paying tribute to the rural expanse of Sonoma County where Ismay lived, Desert Pavement inches toward the city with rock and roll and even power pop influences, as well as a healthy dose of whimsy – most notably in “I Called You Up,” with its fuzzy ‘90s guitars, and the fun, imaginative romp of “Stranger in the Barn” (check out the utterly delightful video here).

There are still plenty of references to  the natural beauty Hellman surrounds themselves with (palominos, doves, rams) in the North Bay, but with Desert Pavement expect a record that is a little more produced and polished from an artist giving themselves a little more—wait for it—free rein. (I’m so sorry.)

Ismay is staging a special release show with fellow Bay Area folkie Kelly McFarling at Sweetwater Music Hall on Sunday, January 28. Buy tickets here.

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