Salt of The Earth intros 3/18/24: Pride, Hansen, Wright

 Monte Pride does not deal in volume. His strummed melodies and hushed, haunting vocals rarely rise above the decibel level of a rushing brook. But you lean in, and you listen, and you learn something about yourself. These are lush and complex songs, but the dynamic is Extreem Introspection, not Party Time....not that you won't enjoy being baptized in Monte Pride's ambient soundscapes. Available from the Lansing artist: Hawthorne Morning Sound (2016) and Even In Absence (2020).

Cole Hansen threads a very fine needle:  her songs are open and optimistic without ever being untruthful or naive. Cole marries fire-tempered imagery to water-cooled melodies, and delivers the elemental fusion to us in an uncommonly pure crystalline voice. These are songs where love never dies, dragons are not necessarily monsters, and your house loves you more than you know. After 20 years of songwriting, Cole is hitting her stride with her best work yet.  Available:  Just In Case (2020), Vote For Love (2022), and a new one later this year.

Aaron Wright sneaks up on you, plants his song seeds in your ear, and sneaks away before the sprouts take hold.  That sounds kinda sinister, but these marvelously clever tunes have a narrator that is unreliable, though reliably hilarious or touching, depending on where Aaron wants to steer you from moment to moment. 30 years of songcraft, dating back to his days with Kalamazoo rockers Slow Drag, have left Aaron in a position to go anywhere his imagination will roam, and find a way to take you along.  Most recent album A Little Stronger showcases his wit, his way with a twisty melody, and his time-tested humanity.