A Nashville, USA-based singer songwriter with a quickly growing audience, Caleb Hearn has just released his debut album, Left on McKinney.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Tyler Krippaehne

Caleb’s music previously featured on this blog last year when Jane shared his single 1200 sq ft. She was impressed by his take on the modern folk genre, so when I saw his debut album had landed, I wanted to give it a spin.

The album follows the success of his single Little Bit Better which, since being released earlier this year, has picked up over 45 million streams of Spotify. The track, a team up with New York City-based singer songwriter ROSIE, acts as an early highlight on Left on McKinney, giving us soulful indie folk pop, with plenty of soul in the vocals and emotion in the lyrics. Before that, we get the intimate, confessional storytelling of Klonopin and the delicate romance of Last Breath.

Get There When I Get There is the album’s latest single release. It captures the feeling of the quarter life crisis, feeling as if you should be further along in your life during your early twenties. Its philosophical lyrics provide the perfect balm.

Strangers Yet, too, is an immersive moment rich with wistfulness in its story of a romance on the rocks.

Across the album’s eight tracks, Conor speaks of finding refuge from hard emotions. The title of the album refers to the road on which his grandparents have always lived, a place where he imagines he is when seeking safety. Despite the raw moments like Klonopin, If It Wasn’t for You and Warm Body that are scattered across the album, there is ultimately a feeling of comfort that presides over it all, especially in the album’s title track that closes it with warm nostalgia.

Left on McKinney was co-written and co-produced with Colin Foote & Alex Borel. It’s out now and you can give it a listen below.