So Shawn James just released his second full-length album. I've been following this guy for over a year now and the way he seamlessly blends blues, soul and folk is incredibly satisfying. In addition to this he is also an incredible singer. (Grew up singing choir, he was also previously the vocalist for a deathmetal band I believe.)
http://shawnjamessoul.bandcamp.com/album/deliveranceHere's a link to his album. It starts off very bluesy, with more folk towards the end. I definitely feel like this guy deserves to be more popular than he is. To me, he is honestly on par with if not better than Bon Iver. (Here's his first album, too:
http://shawnjamessoul.bandcamp.com/album/shadows)
My favorite song off of the album is "A Good Friend is Hard to Find" which is extremely melancholic and almost mournful. In some ways, it reminds me of "To Build a Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra, or "Delicate" by Damien Rice.
The album's not necessarily innovative or groundbreaking, but it is simplicity done
extremely well. Every song is absolutely dripping with atmosphere, and the way he sings switches from being rough and declarative to being like a soothing lullaby. At times, it's like listening to a particularly enthusiastic preacher screaming in to the woods; this is only accentuated by the clapping and stomping percussion that's used to incredible effect all over his music, as well as the heavily layered vocals in some songs.