Mayer’s Picks – The Best of 2016 (So Far), the Songs Part 2

This has already been quite a year for songs. Here are just a few of my favorites from the first half of 2016.

Shadow in the Window, Michael McDermott (from the Pauper Sky Records release Willow Springs)

McDermott reflects on his father’s recent passing, building the song from a tender acoustic opening to an impassioned and cathartic conclusion. Simply jaw-dropping.

Fall From Grace, Mike June (from the self-released Poor Man’s Bible)

June unleashes a roundhouse punch of a rock song, bursting with the songwriter’s unvarnished social and political commentary.

Heart is Black, Escondido (from the Kill Canyon release Walking with a Stranger)

Escondido showcase their brooding side on this dirty – and addicting — rock song.

I’m Giving In, Matt Andersen (from the True North Records release Honest Man)

Andersen tends towards more upbeat acoustic-based fare but demonstrates the depth of his talent, not to mention his voice, on this moving piano ballad.

What Do I Gotta Do, The Roomsounds (from the self-released Elm St.)

Consider this your summer sing-along song.

A Few More Days, Eli Paperboy Reed (from the Yep Roc Records release My Way Home)

A hard-hitting blast of R&B from the Paperboy.

Dreaming, Eric Bachmann (from the Merge Records release Eric Bachmann)

Titles don’t get much more appropriate than the one that adorns this mesmerizing ballad.

Miss Ohio, Eric Ambel (from the self-released Lakeside)

Ambel transforms this genteel Gillian Welch song, extraordinary in its own right, into a pulverizing rock explosion.

About the author:  Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.