Since dropping his debut album in 2015, VanRiss has honed his aesthetic for folk-flavored indie rock into a mesmerizing new single, The River. A pizzicato intro for acoustic guitar opens up, while we are quickly introduced to the clear bell-tones of Van Risseghem’s lead vocal.

Instead of stacking vocal parts, we have a slow and richly-layered crescendo of ambient ear-candy as the arrangement ebbs and flows with dynamic warmth. The chamber-pop elements round out the production, as the emotional arc of the track is informed by a number of folk-acoustic esoterica, including a prominent harmonium for the coda to lift the energy, and what sounds like a mellotron for the interludes.

The River, the latest from Oklahoman artist VanRiss, is an easy combination of dreamy folk, melody, and introspection that might remind you of a cross between Matthew Mole and Eastmountainsouth.

Jonathan Van Risseghem (VanRiss) is a singer-songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This song is featured on our CHILL NEW Songwriters playlist.