John Arter showed up out of nowhere for me with his new single “Homegirl”. It’s a simple song, just a guitar and his voice. I really loved his honest and beautiful writing style. The songwriting has always been the key thing for me.
The song is about this idea of wanting to go somewhere else – through books or through daydreams – but also holding onto where you belong. But what is good is that it’s not pushed in a heavy way. It’s just simple and honest. His vocal delivery is confident and sounds emotional. There’s a weight to his voice that makes the words land smoothly. You can tell he knows how to use his voice.
I really loved the melodies of this song and caught myself replaying some parts without really thinking. It’s carried mostly by that acoustic guitar which stays steady the whole time and it fits his voice well. There’s also this light touch in the background – little details that come and go – but nothing distracts from the main line. Everything is placed with some care.
I played this in the afternoon, kids were in the backyard, windows open, not really doing anything else, and it just clicked in that kind of setting. It’s the kind of track that doesn’t demand attention but rewards it if you give it a bit of time. I didn’t know John Arter before this, but I’m happy I found this one. I’d easily go back and check more of his work after this.
