Sean McConnell Summons Literary and Musical Traditions with “Rest My Head” (premiere)

Sean McConnell‘s 13th album is Secondhand Smoke, a record that further demonstrates his mastery of contemporary folk music. The album, out February 8, may be pre-ordered now.

At the heart of the album is “Rest My Head”, an appropriately cinematic piece of music that marries elements of gospel, the Southern Gothic tradition, country, folk, and hints of pop music. Not only does McConnell deliver a heart-stopping vocal performance but he crafts a lyric that relies on a series of familiar lyrical themes that would feel like clichés in less capable hands but instead, given McConnell‘s passionate performance and musical attack, feel like revelation.

McConnell says, “I originally started this song as a pitch for a Billy the Kid movie. As I kept working on it, I fell in love with the melody and the energy of the track and claimed it for my own. It felt like it was meant for my record and I’m so glad it’s part of the collection.”