Carl Hauck - “Count the Rings”

Photo by Abi Humber

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Carl Hauck has just released “Count the Rings,” the first single from his forthcoming LP, Death Farm.

This is indie folk music at its finest, which is blatantly obvious by the remarkably finger-plucked acoustic guitar at the track’s onset. Thanks to Lia Kohl, swelling notes from a cello fill in the cracks of this otherwise sparse arrangement, allowing listeners to completely lose themselves in the intimate nature of the track.

Hauck has double-tracked his vocal performance, which always seems to win us over, resulting in a vibe that should pique the interest of fans of Sufjan Stevens and Elliott Smith. On the refrain, a harmony from Kelsey Wild is deployed, adding a tremendous amount of weight to the lines: “Like a long lost limb / With the nerve to wonder where you've been.”

As “Count the Rings” progresses, the delicate notes from Lígia Pucci’s piano work find their place in the production, helping the song to rise into a gentle crescendo, yet enabling it to maintain its quiet and vulnerable existence. If you’ve been looking for a good soundtrack for your essential bouts of quiet introspection, you’ve come to the right place.

Death Farm is slated to be released later this October, but you can now enjoy “Count the Rings” wherever you get your music. In the meantime, connect with Carl Hauck here: Spotify | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Website

-HD