Julie Byrne
Rooms With Walls and Windows (out now on Orindal)

There’s not a lot of information on this rising Seattle via Chicago ambient-leaning folk singer, leaving the listener only the 12 tracks on her exquisite debut LP to paint their picture from. We do know that she broke on the scene with her delicate, woodsy first single, “Prism Song,” a track that drew plenty of Grouper comparisons. To my ears, Byrne’s sound is more streamlined than Liz Harris’ work, and I think it lies closer to the lo-fi, yet digestible sound of Jessica Pratt and early Angel Olsen, with even a little touch of folk rock monsters Fleet Foxes’ most stripped-down moments.

While Rooms With Walls and Windows is certainly far from a pop-folk album, it is plenty accesible and easy to listen to. Byrne’s delicate songwriting is arresting, relatable, and even direct at times, and she uses her warm, lithe, breathy vocals to weave subtle vocal hooks that will become harder to shake with each successive listen. Musically, her arraignments lean toward the sparse, fingerpicked variety with a smattering of faraway keys, creating the kind of dusty, nostalgic moods that are best experienced with an open window and sun in your eyes. The lack of large choruses and Byrne’s somewhat reserved coo might make it seem a touch unspectacular at first listen, but like the best folk albums, it only really opens itself up after repeat lessons. When it does, however, it reveals a startling, panoramic view of Byrne’s unique perspective on the world around her and the one inside.

Hottest Jams: “Vertigo,” “Prism Song,” “Young Wife”

Check out the video for “Prism Song”