There are certain songs that, although they are the product of the here and now, feel as if they have been part of the fabric of the musical landscape for as long as you can remember. That is, essentially, the definition of a classic, or at least a potential future classic, which is how they all start anyway. “A Letter From a Friend” is one of those songs.
If I told you that this was a long-overlooked product of the early 1970s Laurel Canyon scene or Greenwich Village coffee shop, a long-lost single by the likes of Jackson Browne or James Taylor, I’m sure that most people wouldn’t put up much of an argument, such is the convincing deftness and dexterity with which this song is delivered.
Blending a country lilt with folk finesse and mainstream accessibility with a slightly paisley-patterned, lush and hazy sonic signature, W.C. Beck has built his own signature brand of the Americana sound that gives a heartfelt nod to the past while forging a healthy path into a bright new future for discerning music in all its forms.
The sonic reference points may be those of the past, but this is an artist with his eyes set firmly on where he is going, rather than where he has been.
