New Hill
Tracks
Folk rock
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On his debut album, Jesse Wooten’s solo project New Hill adds a modern rock aesthetic to conventional folk music. Starting with the short track “Reinvent Yrself,” New Hill immediately informs its listeners that the songs will be straying from the norms of folk music.
This reinvention is achieved by Wooten’s use of electric guitar, bass and keyboards to complement the archetypal fingerpicked folk guitar. From tracks that appeal to the more traditional folk music crowd such as “Cataracts” to more upbeat songs like “I Am A Winner But I Love To Lose,” New Hill seems to be all over the place while still maintaining a coherent sound throughout. Wooten even throws in lines that sound straight out of a rap album (“All the haters are gonna hate”) on “Moon.”
Tracks‘ biggest strength is its wide variety of tempos. With every slow, acoustic song comes an up-tempo track one could really step to. These tempo changes keep the listener guessing. The record also has a gritty sound to it that enhances its grassroots nature.
On his debut album, Wooten’s modern rock take on traditional music shows hope for a promising future. By refining his sound and continuing to build on its contemporary folk, New Hill can cement itself as a local celebrity.
— Will Jackson
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