Deluge by JAMES KING is a raw and honest acoustic indie folk track that stands out because of its directness. It utilises an acoustic guitar, piano, and layers of vocals. Deluge’s building blocks are simple and easy to understand as a listener, which makes the impact of the piece emotionally resonant. It shows King’s maturity as a producer that he maintained that purity throughout the song.

The guitar in this track feels like the guiding light, the consistent through line that holds everything else together. Although new layers form on top, the initial guitar motif, introduced early on, sets the tone for the song and maintains it through the composition. The guitar has this crisp confidence and certainty that is given priority in the mix and stays with the listener. Instead of the vocals doing the emotional heavy lifting throughout the track, the guitar and vocals share that responsibility because of how articulate, sensitive, and resonant the guitar is in Deluge.

The vocals are another standout for me. They follow the indie folk trend of de-emphasising the lyrics and instead focusing on using the voice as an instrument. The heavy vocal effects blend each word into the other, forming this beautiful fuzz around the delivery and adding an enigmatic edge to the narrative. The words you do catch feel that much more impactful because of their subtle delivery. The track also uses vocal harmonies masterfully. They embellish the high notes of the vocal register with breathy trills and runs that draw out the subtle emotional cadence of the song.

Overall, King’s dedication to keeping it simple while also managing to capture attention and emotion is impressive. The enigmatic and subtle vocal delivery works so well with the foundation of the guitar part. This piece feels honest and passionate from beginning to end.