Look to nature to balance the old and the new.
If you ask LA-based folk-rock artist Skittish where his influences lie, he would probably immediately answer “Minnesota.”
Although LA's sheer artistic saturation and creative environment had benefits, the creative ethos that fueled the roots of his newly released album “Midwest Handshake” lies in his native Minnesota. “Midwest Handshake” is a homage inspired by sounds from the 1960s Muscle Shoals era of music and combined with Skittish’s creative identity. In many ways, a grand undertaking, “Midwest Handshake” sees Skittish at his absolute best.
Something that immediately catches your attention on any Skittish release is an underlying warmth and familiarity that envelop his music. That doesn’t mean he shies away from difficult topics; he’s not afraid to address modern concerns like entrenched politics and media obsession.
Interestingly, these issues are given a retro-veneer, providing a link between the past and the present and showing that although the times may change, people still have the same concerns, needs, and desires they did before, just expressed differently. In other words, Skittish’s music humanizes our experiences, touching our hearts and showing that we have more in common than we often think.
In typical Skittish fashion, his new release “Second Act,” the second single from “Midwest Handshake,” feels like a harmonious link between the future and the past. The instrumental arrangement feels traditional in its approach (being grounded by a gorgeous piano performance, no less).
Still, combined with a standout vocal performance that’s both soothing and persistent, “Second Act” feels like it walks alongside the contemporary just as well. On “Second Act,” it feels like Skittish has cultivated a rich and expansive soundscape, and it’s incredibly fitting that “Second Act” and “Midwest Handshake” were inspired not by times in the concrete jungles we call cities but by the land of 1000 lakes.
Skittish’s new release, “Second Act, " is a testament to an elite musician operating at the top of his game. Whenever you’re ready, tap in and stream Skittish’s new release, “Second Act,” available on all major streaming platforms. Check out his album “Midwest Handshake,” available now.