"The Sun Still Seems to Move," a new song from Philly singer-songwriter Shannen Moser, has arisen. The recording possesses a gentle, folk-country progression as Moser narrates in an earnest, emotive manner with raw, gripping beauty. Inserting a poem as vocals bounce and echo off each other, there’s a tender yet escalating tension that tears right through. You can catch Moser this Thursday, February 28, on a Home Outgrown Presents lineup at The Music Ward that also includes The Obsessives and Active Bird Community. (Photo by Vincent Sadonis)

Berks County native Shannen Moser’s I'll Sing (Lame-O Records) is an unexpected yet melodic balm. A timely follow-up to 2017’s Oh, My Heart, her sophomore release reveals not only her depth as a singer-songwriter but her strength as a storyteller. From start to finish, it’s an immersive homage to coming of age, framed by delicate chords, earnest vocals, and truth-laden lyricism.

Beginning with “47th Street,” I’ll Sing’s emotion is unabashed, even in its earliest moments. The track opens with a stripped-down subtlety that builds into a fuller soundscape and further crystallizes lines like “I don't cry anymore” and "It’s just a feeling, that’s what feeling is for.” When Moser sings, “If I could feel something good, I would share with you, you know I would,” listeners will believe her without a shred of doubt. A noteworthy anthem about desire and the way the past can shape a person, “47th Street” is the flawless start to a deeply personal LP.

In a similar fashion, “Haircut Song” centers around a memory and an intimate request that becomes a two-fold remembrance of how caring for another person can reveal the beauty and damage that go hand-in-hand with human closeness and the unreliable nature of a broken heart. Amplified by steady strums of acoustic guitar and the hiss of snare, Moser’s song manages to be sincere without resorting to melodrama. The album's third offering, “Joanna,” brings to mind Chan Marshall's earliest cuts and the heartfelt harmony of First Aid Kit's The Big Black and the Blue. Here, Moser turns a plea into a praise song of yearning and transformation. It’s a stunning example of songwriter’s ability to turn even the most ordinary of moments into a vivid melody. Through her voice, the personal becomes universal.

“Everytown” continues to showcase I’ll Sing’s emotive relatability through the swoon-worthy swell of guitar and Moser’s steady diction. When she sings, “It’s easier to feel in love when it’s warm,” and insists that “in every town there’s someone just like me missing someone like you,” the tune feels like the biography of anyone whose life has been shaped by friendship and romance. It’s an ode to small towns and the transformative power of kindness and intimacy. “Baby Blue” is like a contemporary riff on country classics like Loretta Lynn’s “Color of the Blues” and  Skeeter Davis’ Here's the Answer, while “Arizona (I Wanna Be Your Man)” brings to mind the unforgettable passion of cuts by Lucy Dacus and the equally affecting Julien Baker.

“Hallelujah” possesses an instantaneous warmth that amplifies its disillusioned honesty. A ballad for modern cynics and believers alike, Moser’s hymn appears most holy when it captures the duality of the world that surrounds us. As she sings, "Hallelujah the world is all broken and bad, Hallelujah for love and caring for this land," it is difficult not to experience a sense of revival from the searing truth of her chorus. “Blacktop Mountain” and “The Ballad of Freddie Jones” are audibly haunting and bound to bring to mind the instrumentive progression of old favorites by The New Amsterdams and the confessional candidness of Lissie’s “Shroud” or Jenny Lewis’ quintessential Rabbit Fur Coat.

In “Your Window Seat,” the necessity of communication and connection comes through with each line Moser breathes, undoubtedly reminding her audience of the people in their own lives who they turn to, whether it be in times of need or joy. An understated hint of vibrant sorrow echoes throughout “West Texas Blues,” making the track memorable in a satisfyingly unshakable way. The vibrating strings and striking lines of “One for Mama” are similarly gripping, proving that although Moser is still in her twenties, she is aware of the way the world can weather a person. “Trouble” and “Pleasantville” feel urgent yet timeless, while “I’ll Sing,” the LP's title track, leaves listeners transfixed by the artist’s wisdom and her dedication to sharing her songs with those who are willing to listen.

Unarguably stirring and profound, I’ll Sing should be considered required listening for anyone with a heartbeat. It will transform you for the better.  – Dianca London

A pair of Lame-O’s latest releases are being celebrated this Saturday with a dual record release show at the First Unitarian Church. An endearing, country-folk vulnerability is ingrained throughout I’ll Sing, the sophomore album from Shannen Moser. Time-worn tradition meets the empathetic-transformative nature of her personal narratives. Stirring sensitivity sends shivers up your spine, and the warmth of rollicking rockers make this an album that can keep you company or be embraced in a communal collective. Sharing common ground, The Deli Philly’s August Record of the Month, Chosen Family by Thin Lips, is one which unfolds in accessible, revealing lyrics delivered by Chrissy Tashjian. The confidence/ability to put it all on the line forges a instant connection. With that established, the momentous, fire-starting riffs and melodies envelop in songs that tap into a raw swell of feelings and force. With its debut full-length album Sleep Debt out today via Take This To Heart Records, No Thank You’s Nicholas Holdorf-led quintet Cheer Up captures an expansive, bright, bouncy, thought-collecting emo. Speaking of new records, the quartet of So Totally is currently working on its latest. – Michael Colavita

More new sounds to check out this weekend…

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) SAT Thin Lips/Shannen Moser (Dual Record Release), So Totally, Cheer Up

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Langor, SAT 5th Annual Night of 1,000 Kates, SUN Lucy Stone 

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Yowler, SAT Ben Arnold & The 48HR Orchestra, Cliff Hillis

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Christopher Davis Shannon/DJ Deejay, SAT The Drowned God, The University of South Vietnam School of Warfare, Sleepsculptor, Witness/Fame Lust

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) FRI Remember Sports, Corey Flood, SUN 7th Victim

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Goldenspiral DJ, SUN Joey Stix & Frankie Vado, Evan Wize, The Burgeoning, KAYIN, Night Bloom

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St,) FRI Jedi Mind Tricks

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Agent Zero, Jeff Omega

The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) SAT Ceramic Animal, Cold Fronts

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT (Upstairs)  Nothing Wrong, Jefferson Berry & the Urban Acoustic Coalition

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Naps Past Noon, Civil HoldUp, Needless Ghost, SUN Punk Hands

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Dry Reef, Crucial, SAT The Chris Paterno Band, SAT Joshua Chase Miller, SUN Grady Hoss & The Sidewinders

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Grace Vonderkuhn, Tetra, Ali Awan, SAT Welter, Taxes, SUN Sunchoke, Broke Body, Blame Jakob

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Rachel Andie & The V Element, Elaine Rasnake, SAT Gabe Wolf, Destiny X, SUN Randy Scott Carroll

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) SAT Among Criminals, La Capitaña, Something Like A Monument / Conversations, Flat Mary Road, South on Sunday, SUN Hellings

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Bo Bliz, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St) FRI Chalk & The Beige Americans, The 1940s, All This Huxley, SAT Milton, Kohn

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI SOLD (Release Show), Ramona, Machine Gun Joe, Blood Sound

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI RFA, SUN Farewell Summer

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SUN Ear Me Now

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Ben Aire, SAT Drootrax

The Grape Room (105 Grape St) FRI Danny Newport, Cain Kerner & Joji Ruffin, XPresidents, SAT Sage Turtle, Super Bonanza

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI The Dead Milkmen, She Became Grey, SAT Muscle Tough, SUN Splintered Sunlight  

Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) FRI Control For Smilers, SAT Ronnie Riggles, Schilly, Charley Coin

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Violet Waves, Mesa Glow, Douse

LAVA Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) SUN The Obsessives, Strawberry Runners

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Rentboy, Secret Nudist Friends

Tundra Dome (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Data, TVO, Cavemen

Let the gentle, acoustic strums and country-tinged hymnals of Shannen Moser's I'll Sing take your weary heart back to the warmth and comfort of home. The reflective nature of each recording carries us to familiar places, opening up a floodgate of feels. Allow them to wash over you. I'll Sing is out now via Lame-O Records, and you can stream and purchase it below. Moser will be performing this Saturday, September 15 at Underground Arts with Okkervil River, and don't miss her co-headlining, dual record release celebration with labelmates Thin Lips on Saturday, September 22 at the First Unitarian Church.

 label

I’ll Sing, the forthcoming album from Shannen Moser, will be released on September 7 via Lame-O Records. “Arizona (I Wanna Be Your Man)” is its lead single, exploring a hypothetical road trip in a yearning, open-letter kind of way. That sense of longing lingers as the backbeat matriculates across the map, highlighted by quick punches of guitar and the earnest, emotive power of Moser's vocals. You can catch her at Everybody Hits on Wednesday, August 22, where she'll be joined by Cherry and Sidney Gish.