"Little Emma's Smile" by Viking Moses (from Crosses, 2006*)
Brendon Massei, who has played music as Viking Moses for more than a decade, has always performed in obscurity, still touring DIY venues and house show circuits as diligently as ever. However, he is one of the most fundamental ancestors of modern indie- and freak-folk; he's associated with or influenced major acts like Devendra Banhart, Deer Tick^, Will Oldham, Cat Power, Mirah, Phosphorescent, and many more. However, there's a keen sense of humility, authenticity, and gentle melancholy to his songwriting unmatched by his contemporaries. Rather than employing turgid character studies or overly clever wordplay, his songs feel hymnal and joyful. Such is "Little Emma's Smile", an ode to, well, Emma, who's been referenced in many of his songs yet not given a lot of concrete detail. It's a love song through and through, yet the fluttery, pretty sound of it is tempered perfectly by Brendon's frayed, sad, weathered voice. However, with the rest of Viking Moses' catalog, an optimistic and holy light shines through.
*educated guess after research (no release date is printed on the CD sleeve)
^Brendon Massei took John McCauley on his first tour as Deer Tick, and Devendra Banhart featured Viking Moses on his 2004 self-made compilation The Golden Apples of the Sun.