Audio Deacon

This week I’m spending time with Charley Crockett’s Clovis , a cinematic country and western record full of dusty landscapes, outlaw tales, dangerous young men, and hard-earned wisdom. Crockett draws deeply from the great western singers of the past, but the record never feels trapped in nostalgia. It is gritty and loose when it needs to be, graceful and carefully crafted when the songs call for t...

This week I’m bringing you two records that move in very different directions. I begin with Office Dog’s Prime Corner , a punchy and lived-in indie rock record full of jangly guitars, garage-band energy, and lyrical images of light, dust, dirt, fault lines, embers, and ash. Then I turn to Roger Eno’s Without Wind, Without Air — Rarities , a moving companion EP that gathers piano, strings, orchestr...

Nathan Letourneau’s That the Powers of Hell May Vanish brings hymns into a gritty, hard-rock setting without losing the weight and beauty of the words. In this brief recommendation, I reflect on the album’s guitar work, vocal seriousness, and sense of liturgical rootedness. The record gives these hymns a fresh set of colors, making them fitting for meditation, driving, exercise, or attentive liste...

This week I’m bringing you three records that feel like fresh air. I begin with Jack Johnson’s SURFILMUSIC , a warm and charming collection of soundtrack pieces, early four-track recordings, and simple folk songs that sound made for slow summer days. Then I turn to Stephen Sanchez’s Love, Love, Love , a sweet and carefully crafted pop record full of vintage romance, big vocal moments, and genuine...

This week I’m joined by Andrew Dittman — baritone, choirmaster, composer, and the man behind The Kyrial Project — for a rich conversation about chant, harmony, congregational singing, and the recovery of serious sacred music for ordinary churches and families. We talk about Andrew’s musical upbringing, why children don’t need to be patronized with “children’s music,” why churches should give their...

This week I'm bringing you into my current listening life. No final verdicts, just  first impressions worth sharing. I introduce two artists I've been loving: GLIN, a whistle-and-guitar duo from Scotland making Celtic folk music that sounds like spring arriving, and Parlor Greens, whose record Emeralds sounds like a lost session tape from the sixties. Then I survey three new releases I&a...

This week, we have a talk I recently gave at The Arcadian Wild and The Corner Room show in Birmingham. It's a short piece on what music is, where it comes from, and why a room full of people gathering to listen together is never a small thing. We talk about the triune God as a musical God, the miracle of sound entering the body, and why a night of live music is, in the deepest sense, an act o...

In today’s episode, we look at three records bound together by a shared mood of restraint, melancholy, and  beauty. With black-and-white covers and a lingering winter atmosphere, each of these projects offers music suited for reflection as we continue through the Lenten season. We begin with music from 6am String Club and Caleb Chancey, a project of meditative string pieces that are deeply present...

In today’s episode, we look at two very different records that reward attentive listening. One moves through experimental jazz textures and woodwind explorations, while the other settles into the warm, familiar world of folk storytelling and front-porch songwriting. We begin with Of the Earth from multi-instrumentalist Shabaka , an exploratory and self-produced project built from layered flutes, w...

In this topical episode of Audio Deacon , we explor text painting - the art of shaping music to mirror the meaning of the words themselves. From Gregorian chant and Handel’s Messiah to The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Punch Brothers, and modern pop and folk, this episode traces how composers and songwriters turn melody, rhythm, texture, and timing into storytelling tools. These “musical jokes”—sometime...

In today’s episode, we walk through five records that reward careful listening. We move from playful experimental pop-funk to modern minimalism and contemporary jazz, and ending with some grounded bluegrass and folk. We begin with Lost in the Wonder from Cory Wong, a joyful, groove-heavy record filled with sharp playing, tasteful collaborations, and moments that invite you to lock in on rhythm and...

In today’s episode, we walk through five records that reward careful listening, moving from playful experimental pop to pop rock, modern jazz collaboration, gentle folk songwriting, and a raucous mono-era classic. We begin with Colour Space Transform , a joyful and off-kilter EP from Group A.D. that blends texture, melody, and danceable energy. We then turn to Boycott Heaven , The Format ’s first...

In today’s episode, we walk through five recordings to start 2026 well , spanning instrumental rock, legacy songwriting, punk, acoustic covers, and laid-back folk-pop. We begin with Desert So Green by Winged Wheel , a patient, immersive instrumental project built on texture and momentum, followed by Peter Gabriel ’s new single Been Undone , a reminder of his enduring curiosity and craft. We also s...

This week we are joined by the great Jarrod Richey to talk about records and music listening, and boy did this brother deliver. We talk about everything from Brad Paisley, to Chris Stapleton, to Jacques Loussier and Bach. Enjoy! - Jarrod Richey lives in Monroe, Louisiana, where he teaches music and choir at Geneva Academy in West Monroe. He’s deeply involved in training young musicians and teacher...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at Paul Hillier's great album of gratitude, Home to Thanksgiving. The Audio Deacon App! https://app.audio-deacon.com/ Use code audiodeacon3 for 3 free months! ________ Listen to the Album! Paul Hillier: Home to Thanksgiving: Songs of Thanks and Praise Apple Music Spotify __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Faceb...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at 5 great records and a big announcement about the AD App! The Audio Deacon App! https://app.audio-deacon.com/ Use code audiodeacon3 for 3 free months! ________ Listen to the Albums! Chris Thile: Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2 Apple Music Spotify Keith Jarrett: The Koln Concert (Live) Apple Music Spotify Rosalia: Lux Apple Music Spotify The Mo...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at the 3 new records that will work beautifully in your fall album rotation.  Listen to the Albums! Jacob Collier: The Light for Days Apple Music Spotify Madison Cunningham: Ace Apple Music Spotify Andrew Peterson: The Light for Days Apple Music Spotify __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world...

In today's episode, I'm briefly discussing introducing pop and rap to children, along with a huge announcement! __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluctant music-makers and confused c...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at the new record from Brad Mehldau, Ride into the Sun. Listen to the Album! Spotify Apple Music __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluctant mu...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at the new pop rock gem from Brian Dunne. Crank it! Listen to the Album! Spotify Apple Music __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluctant music-...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at the lovely debut record from Fielder.  Listen to the Album! Spotify Apple Music __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluctant music-makers and...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at the stunning self-titled record from Racing Mount Pleasant. Listen to the Album! Spotify Apple Music __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluc...

Today, we have our first artist interview! Adam Wright is the founder of The Corner Room , a project that sets Scripture to music for meditation and memorization. The Corner Room on Apple Music  The Corner Room on Spotify  The Corner Room on Youtube The Corner Room Website __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook __________________________ We live in a world of...

In today's episode we're discussing pop music, wisdom, and what we can call "parodic memory" when singing songs of the past. __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluctant musi...

In today's episode, we're taking a look at Benson Boone's  American Heart. __________________________ Links: The Audio Deacon Substack Twitter Facebook We live in a world of music because the Creator is the God of music. But in our age, musical enjoyment and participation has taken a severe nose-dive, resulting in reluctant music-makers and confused consumers. Audio Deacon aims to c...