AltCountry: Mike Zale's All the Words You Wish You Said

First, there’s the more widely-known referents when finding comparisons to Mike Zale.

Starting off with the intro (“Porch Swing”), Mike Zale has the voice of Pete Yorn. In fact, much like the beginning of Yorn’s musicforthemorningafter, Zale gives that intro a scratchy record on a Victrola effect. When the album kicks into full gear on “The Ride,” Zale has the breathy, raspy, deep voice of Yorn, cruising along over an acoustic-led folk Americana rock. Also, like Yorn, Mike Zale’s All the Words You Wish You Said lands in the AltCountry section of the Spectrum, because it’s folk rock has hints and remnants of twang.

“Love It When You Sing” comes out of the John Mayer songwriting stylebook. It grooves with jazzy inflection, soulful interchanges, acoustic fingerstyling, and coffeehouse dreaming lyrics.

Now, though, there’s the less widely-known referents that are unmistakable in Mike Zale’s sound.

Zale’s voice sounds strikingly similar to Miah Werner, the lead singer of Lucid Fate. Not surprisingly, I’ve often compared Lucid Fate to Pete Yorn’s sound. Both Zale and Werner come close to mumbling, but then they let the highs and lows fully see their range. They don’t hold back on the anthemic choruses. These are folk-soul voices, earnest and endearing.

“The Ride” recalls Mark Croft strongly, the acoustic strum pattern that kicks off the tune seemingly could lead either into Zale’s tune or Croft’s “Strangely Enough.” With “Best Beat,” Zale has the acoustic Jam Band sound of Thomas Cunningham.

Like Lucid Fate, putting Mike Zale in the AltCountry section is somewhat a stretch, especially when you can hear the considerable influence of the jazzy John Mayer. However, as Zale sings “Light Brigade,” it’s an AltCountry folk rock with a slow dance beat, double bass drum kick. Saying this is AltCountry challenges you to hear more than a singer-songwriter. When you hear Mike Zale or Lucid Fate, there’s a way that this folk rock connects back to rock’s predecessor. That connection can only be described as AltCountry.

Thank you to Mike Zale for the review copy.