Faye Webster - Faye Webster

Faye Webster's self-titled second album from 2017 is where the Atlanta songwriter's blend of country twang and laid-back R&B cool first came into sharp focus.

Released the same year she signed with Atlanta's Awful Records collective, a crew better known for left-field hip-hop, the album placed Webster's dreamy, unhurried songs in a distinctly modern context. Co-produced with Matt Martin, it set the template for the records that would later make her an indie favourite, from Atlanta Millionaires Club onwards, and it still sounds remarkably sure of itself for such a young artist.

She Won't Go Away opens with gentle, swaying guitars and Webster's soft, conversational voice, the kind of delivery that sounds like a confession whispered across a kitchen table. Is It Too Much to Ask turns everyday longing into something quietly devastating, while Alone Again leans into wistful, slow-burning melancholy. Wrong People shows off her knack for turning small frustrations into hummable, bittersweet songs that sneak up on you days later.

Understated and intimate, this is a record that rewards close listening on a slow afternoon, and a lovely way to hear how one of indie music's most distinctive voices first came together. Pour something cold, sit by a window and let it unfold at its own easy pace.