For a minute now, we’ve been all over the music of Brooklyn’s Steve Gunn. With his last solo release Eyes On The Lines, he had us from the opening notes. Gunn isn’t typical, which may be what makes him so interesting. His music is like if John Fahey was channeling Magazine songs in his breathy tone. With his first two singles off of the upcoming full length, The Unseen In Between, Gunn sounds like he’s taking steps towards re-invention while echoing what he’s done before in the process.

The first single, “New Moon” has this very NYC feel. Like the early days of Lou Reed and John Cale. Gunn isn’t reacing for pop stardom, though the way the song is written, it sticks with you. The way that the guitar echoes with Gunn’s voice dancing a top the instruments like a messenger is masterful. It’s almost like he’s re-imagining the singer songwriter world by touching on what it once was before the country influences muddied up the waters of the genre.

With his second single “Stonehurst Cowboy,” Gunn employs a softer approach, utilizing his guitar skills to hone in on more of his storytelling strengths. With just the acoustic and his vocals in the mix, you’re forced to listen to his tale and focus on what the song is. There’s an intimacy Gunn is achieving here, that’s not easy to reach for many acts, though Gunn does so with ease.

You can stream the first two singles on all streaming sites, you can purchase them from all digital shops as well. The Unseen In Between will be made available to the public on January 18, and you can preorder the album on multiple formats from Steve Gunn or directly from Matador Records. You can catch Steve Gunn in person starting January 03 in Marfa, Texas at Crowley Theater, until April 08 in Manchester at The Deaf Institute. A complete list of his tour dates can be found here.

Image Credits: Photo by Clay Benskin.