It seems to be a truism that the artists hardest to pin down to a prescribed genre are the ones we work hardest to find a slot to add them to. New Zealand artist Siena Stone isn’t making this job any easier. With a nod to lush summer jams (Beach House, Cocteau Twins), Stone delivers her latest single "Freewheeler" seemingly relaxed and carefree, but listen a bit more closely, and now you’re hearing a voice wrapped in mystery and intrigue, closer in spirit to evocative ’60s/70s singer-songwriters like Warren Zevon and Richard Thompson (the song’s title is itself a nod to early Dylan album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan). ‘Freewheeler’ appears soothing on the surface, but just as often gets lost under a flurry of reverb-soaked, synth-fueled waves, like you’re playing in the ocean, but perhaps have wandered a bit too far from the beach. Stone’s work will live on long past the summer, and we’re excited about whatever she’ll be doing next. Check out ‘Freewheeler’ below. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)
