Melissa Ferrick is a sick guitar player. It’s interesting to hear the choices that musicians with great technical chops make when writing a pop song like our highlighted track “Black Dress.” You’re not trying to wow. You’re trying to tell a story. You’re trying to catch the ear. You’re trying to make a statement. In the pop vernacular these goals hardly ever require you to play to the limits of your technical prowess. Ferrick holds it down with a bluesy, country riff and vocals that alternate between breathy confessional and high-end yelping. It’s a simple riff, but she plays the shit out of it for a barnburner you could line dance to.

Stream, share, buy to your heart’s content.