Janelle Loes has become something of an establishment in the Arizona folk scene since the release of her debut album, Here and Now. Like the Shawn Colvin or K.T. Tunstall of the era, a precocious Loes wrote and recorded accessible folk-pop that often meandered into elements of jazz or AC rock. Especially from a 17-year-old’s perspective, it’s a pleasantly steady and mature collection of music. Nine years later, the Phoenix artist has entirely come into her own, having garnered acknowledgment from the likes of the Rocky Mountain Songwriter Showcase and the Tucson Folk Festival on the road traveled so far.
Loes’ latest, “The One You Call Your Love”, is a sweet callback to the charm and sway of sixties pop-rock. A duet with Norway folkie Kevin Steinman, the two navigate the song’s slick, wholesome production with aplomb. It’s full of dreamy, swingy melodies that serve Loes’ and Steinman’s yearning vocals well—melodically vintage, but very much modern in its tale of 21st century romance.
“The One You Call Your Love” is available now.