American singer-songwriter Eric Mann has created an exceptionally poignant piece of dark country-folk with Guanajuato, a cinematic song that explores themes of human connection, circumstance and moral complexity.

By Jane Howkins

Guanajuato almost sounds a bit like an old Western film score at times, creating a dusty, reflective mood for the listener that is grounded in a traditional form of folky instrumentation. Eric’s vocal style is perfect for the style of music too, providing a nice rich contrast against the higher flute notes that appear every so often. It’s clear from the off that Eric’s plainspoken, gravel-tinged vocals carry the exact emotional restraint that this song demands – it’s raw, yet the production sounds perfect and the live recording seems to have really brought about a brilliant balance of sounds here.