It’s been a while since my last edition of Fresh New Tracks, as I haven’t much felt like writing given the ever-worsening onslaught of mendacity and horrors issuing from America’s insanely corrupt leadership. But with so much great new music being released, it’s time for another installment in my series. Today I’m featuring deeply compelling songs by four singer-songwriters, in alphabetical order – English composer and producer Paris Alexander, Texas-based Keelan Donovan, Los Angeles-based David Haerle, and Welsh artist Secret Postal Society. I’ve previously featured Paris Alexander and Secret Postal Society many times on this blog, whereas Keelan Donovan and David Haerle are new to me.

Paris Alexander – “Ride to Heartbreak”

Hailing from Brighton, England is Paris Alexander, a creative and talented singer-songwriter, composer and producer of electronic music. He’s been a long time collaborator with his life partner, British singer-songwriter, producer and muse Tina Eirene, as well as Norwegian coldwave/post-punk artist Antipole, with whom he co-wrote, produced and sang vocals/played synths on five albums together (two of which, Northern Flux in 2017 and Crystalline in 2023, I reviewed). In 2021, I also reviewed Paris & Tina’s wonderful album Renaissance, which they co-wrote and co-produced. Now Paris is back with a new single “Ride to Heartbreak“, which was co-written and co-produced with Tina, and recorded, mixed and mastered at his Blue Door Music Studios in Brighton.

The song is a darkly beautiful and mesmerizing coldwave gem, with mysterious, almost otherworldly synths layered over a hypnotic pulsating beat. Paris’ ethereal whispered vocals are at once both seductive and melancholy, backed by Tina’s soft, breathy croons, as they sing about the sadness associated with the passing of time and missed opportunities: “Sadness touches my soul, for what was meant to be has gone astray. Time said too late as I gave you a chance. Sadness is the mourning for many times have passed.”

Keelan Donovan – “The Influence”

Born and raised in Maine and now based in Austin, Texas via Nashville, singer-songwriter Keelan Donovan has been releasing music for the past decade as both a solo artist and under his indie pop alter-ego Mr. Irrelevant. His songs span across genres, encompassing everything from pop, singer-songwriter and indie rock to Americana, country and folk. His 2018 single “Like a Radio” has been streamed over 2.6 million times on Spotify alone. I learned about him recently when he reached out to me about his new single “The Influence“, which he describes as “a raw, confessional song about the quiet grip of alcohol, the weight of inherited struggles, and the fear of what we pass down to our kids.” He co-wrote the song with Canadian-born and now Nashville-based country singer-songwriter Tenille Townes, and it was produced by Kevin Kadish.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Keelan eloquently articulated his reason for writing the song: “I wrote ‘The Influence’ because I have two boys who are always watching me. Learning not just from what I say, but from what I do. That’s a beautiful thing and also terrifying. It forces me to hold a mirror up to myself every single day. The way I handle stress, how I treat people, how I talk about myself, the habits I lean on…especially my drinking…they’re picking it all up. It’s about wanting to break cycles but sometimes slipping anyway. We all fuck up as parents. A lot. And that’s okay. It’s about guilt, grace, and the deep hope that love is louder than our flaws. One of the things I’ve struggled with is using alcohol to cope, to numb, to unwind. and sometimes I wonder what kind of message that sends. What they’ll remember. What they’ll carry with them. This song is rooted in that quiet fear. What if the parts of me I haven’t healed become the parts they inherit? I’m still figuring it out. And sometimes the shame of falling short makes it even harder to get back up. I’m learning in real time how to be the kind of man I want them to look up to. Not a perfect one. Just an honest one.”

The song has a pleasing indie folk-pop vibe in the vein of songs by Noah Kahan, Wilderado and Mumford & Sons. In fact, Keelan’s vocals remind me of Noah Kahan as he sings “If forgiveness is a virtue, a little sin, it never hurts you. It feels good to get drunk once in a while. Is it bad? It’s probably bad, but I’m doing the best I can.”

David Haerle – “To Dance On Sands (Ode to Marta Becket)”

David Haerle is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles who blends rock, folk, and Americana to tell heartfelt stories inspired by his life experiences and observations of the people and places that surround him. From what I can tell, he’s released a fair amount of music since 2017, including three albums – Garden of Edendale in 2018, Death Valley in 2020 and El Camino Sierra in 2023. His music has been featured in many notable music publications including Billboard, American Songwriter, Goldmine, Under The Radar, Glide Magazine and Rock and Roll Globe, to name just a few. On his latest single “To Dance On Sands (Ode To Marta Becket),” David pays tribute to American actress, dancer, choreographer and painter Marta Becket, who left an indelible mark on California arts culture. She performed for more than four decades at her own theater, the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction. She gave her first performance in February 1968, and continued to perform until 2012. She passed away in 2017 at the age of 92.

Born in 1924 in New York City, Marta was later traveling with her husband on her way to an engagement in 1967 when, due to a flat tire, she ended up in the tiny desert hamlet of Death Valley Junction, where she discovered a small abandoned theater in a community center built in the 1920s. Immediately charmed by the small town, she decided to stay and restore the theater, which she renamed the Amargosa Opera House, for her own performances. In 1970, reporters from National Geographic happened upon her performing a show to no audience, and, with the help of a story in that publication and another in Life Magazine, Marta took on a degree of notoriety. David elaborates: “I had an awareness of Ms. Becket as I am a regular visitor to Death Valley, but it was upon reading her [autobiography To Dance on Sands] and learning her story more fully that she became an artistic hero to me. Though her art was dance, choreography and painting and mine music, Ms. Becket represents a pinnacle of artistic courage to me. A true beacon and role model for what it can mean to follow, express and fulfill one’s artistic vision, impulses and ambitions.”

The track was written by David and produced alongside co-producer/mixer/engineer and frequent collaborator Jose Salazar. David sang lead vocals and played electric and acoustic rhythm guitars, along with Carson Cohen (bass, backing vocals), Reade Pryor (drums, percussion), Ken Belcher (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals), and Jose Salazar (keyboards). To accompany his lovely Americana song, David has created a wonderful video to honor Marta’s legacy. Opening with scenes of him directed and shot by Michael Pottle, the video also features footage from Amargosa, the Emmy award-winning 2000 documentary film about Marta by Todd Robinson.

Secret Postal Society – “Scars”

Welsh artist Secret Postal Society is the music project of hard-working and talented singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. He’s also thoughtful, generous and kind, and though we’ve never met in person, I’m quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. We’ve been following each other on social media since early 2021, and I’ve written about him and his music several times over the past four years, most recently last month when I reviewed his EP Embrace the Fear, a collaboration he did with fellow Welsh singer-songwriter Guy Challenger to help raise funds for a UK youth suicide prevention charity. Also, his beautiful single “Autumn Leaves” recently spent more than four months on my Top 30 chart, where it peaked at #3. Now he’s back with his follow-up single “Scars“, which dropped April 15th via Lonely Bear Records. The heartwarming song was written, performed and recorded by Craig, and mastered by his frequent collaborator Brandon Green of Texas indie rock band Formerly Misinformed.

About “Scars”, Craig stated it’s “about how we all have our own scars – whether they are physical or emotional scars – that can affect us in dierent ways, but with love, understanding and support we can learn to accept that these scars have made us who we are and we can start to heal and love ourselves. Musically, ‘Scars’ was influenced by the French cafe jazz music of the 1960s, with its accordion, lush string arrangement and hypnotic acoustic guitar arpeggio.” His musical arrangements and instrumentation are always first-rate, and “Scars” is no exception. And though Craig’s vocals are generally understated, they’re always honest and heartfelt, conveying a deep sensitivity as he sings “Your broken heart, it’s in two. And I know it’s going to take some time to mend but I will wait. And see it through with you. I’ll be the constant constellation you can hang your hope on to to heal your scars.”

The Bandcamp release also includes an exclusive acoustic mix of the song.