New Music Critique: Ky Burt

Clean production captures the pure, un-schooled spirit of poetic singer-songwriter Ky Burt, whose music exudes a lilting, laid-back sensibility. He’s based in Oregon, and there’s a naturally idyllic, rural tone to songs such as “Gloria May,” about a free-spirited woman (“wild as the sea”), and it features a jaunty fiddle that lends the tune a “sailing ballad” vibe. A wistful song of parting, “Oregon Snow” is sweet and ambling. On “Lady in the Moon,” a banjo lends a rustic accent to help color the song’s lonesome romanticism. Its arrangement benefits from the presence of a group vocal section, but lead vocals are always key, so we urge this artist to find a coach to correct his overall tendency to hit flat notes and lose pitch.