In preparation for his first full-length album, The Light Within, to be released on May 14^th, New York-based singer-songwriter Jared Saltiel has released a new single and a B-side to hold us over. Much like his work on his two previous EPs, Holy Grail Blues and The Moon, Mary, and Me show off Saltiel’s unique blend of style, resulting in intricate and idiosyncratic songs that are at once impressive and undeniably catchy.

Holy Grail Blues, true to its name, is based in blues idioms. With a light shuffle beat and dirty, fingerpicked acoustic guitar, the song opens as a typical blues song. But as the track goes on, Saltiel’s intricate strings, jazzy vibraphone, and odd song form break down our expectations and give way to some kind of rhapsodic blues-pop. The Moon, Mary, and Me, labels a b-side but which will be appearing on The Light Within, shows the quieter, more delicate side of Saltiel’s music. Harmonically adventurous and melodically driven, the track seems to float almost aimlessly, echoing its lyric, “high above this city/ suspended in air”. The strings, electric guitar, soft keyboards and sparse percussion add up to a beautiful carpet of texture to showcase Saltiel’s more abstract and classically beautiful lyrics.

In both songs, as always, Saltiel’s voice shines bright. His timbre is smooth and sweet, but with a power and clarity that sets him apart from other singer-songwriters.

Holy Grail Blues and The Moon, Mary, and Me can be downloaded for free off of Saltiel’s bandcamp. He is playing a record release show on May 14^th at Littlefield in Brooklyn and then departing for a short Mid-West tour.

Tuesday, 5/28/13 – Rancho Relaxo – Toronto, ON
Wednesday, 5/29/13 – The Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI
Thursday, 5/30/13 – The Elbo Room – Chicago, IL
Friday, 5/31/13 – Mahall’s (Locker Room) – Lakewood, OH
Sunday, 6/2/13 – Cameo Gallery – Brooklyn, NY

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