Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins
Cory Branan
It seems fitting that, back in 2014, Rolling Stone knighted Cory Branan as one of the “10 New Artists You Need to Know.” It wasn’t like Branan was some kind of spring chicken, having already released four records over 15 years. Doubly ironic was the fact that Rolling Stone had pretty much said the exact same thing about him 12 years earlier.
Well, if at first you don’t succeed…
The fact is that Branan’s music has always been ripe for discovery and has remained one of the most consistently underrated singer/songwriters in alt-country. Even lumping him into that particular genre seems ill-fitting. Sure, he’s from Mississippi and can write a heartfelt ballad that’ll make the most grizzled of people cry in their Lone Stars, but Branan’s real gift is his ability to cross genres and make music that defies characterization.
Overall, Branan is one of those artist’s artists, similar to John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, destined to be revered and respected by the few who listen to him. I certainly count myself among that company. I was one of those people who saw that 2002 Rolling Stone article and immediately went out to buy his debut, The Hell You Say. That record, along with his 2006 follow-up, 12 Songs, remain two masterpieces you need to know now.
Cory Branan plays Tuesday, April 23 at Soda Bar.