If there’s one thing I’ve learned when it comes to writing about independent music, it’s there’s a fine line between the creative and the pretentious. When a new artist comes along claiming to have a ‘unique’ sound, you have to ask two questions. Is it actually any different to anything else? And if so, why?
In the case of Joe Rhinewine, the first answer is a resounding yes. The track at the top of the page is taken from his new EP (out now on Amazon), and features a rolling, semi-spoken vocal over an admittedly good blues bed. Which leads us to the second question.
If a band does sound different, there are often two reasons. One, because they actively go out to be different, against their better judgement, just to make people talk about how different they are. In these cases, you often get the feeling that they simply want to write pop songs but feel like they can’t because they will be judged. This way pretentiousness lies.
Fortunately, Joe Rhinewine doesn’t seem to fall into this category. A clinical psychologist by trade, his aesthetic and sound are lo-fi enough to give the impression that he writes like this for the love. Which is as pure a recommendation for any artist as you can ever give.
