Over the weekend, Ryan Adams said we should check out Thomas J. Speight‘s “Willow Tree,” a gorgeous song off his new Tim Rice Oxley and Jesse Quin-produced EP, and I’ve had it on repeat (alongside Cee-Lo, of course) ever since. Speight’s vocals here, adorned with just the right touch of reverb and bolstered by a slightly syncopated drumbeat that recalls Wilco’s Glenn Kotche, are among the few I’ve heard that could be safely called Ryan Adams-esque, in fact. Add pitch-perfect harmonies and a verse from Jessica Staveley-Taylor, string section-backed coda, and its twee music video to the mix and it looks like I’ve fallen for yet another singer-songwriter.
Is it just me (and Ryan) or is this guy really great? Watch Speight’s “Willow Tree” and “Girl of Halloween” videos below:
Purchase the excellent Willow Tree EP here.
(Photo by Tony Blake)