Doug Paisley, Twain (Back Room)

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Photo courtesy of No Quarter Records

Doug Paisley

Though he hails from Toronto, Doug Paisley’s warm, twangy voice and fleet acoustic guitar playing make him sound like a son of the American South. In November, Paisley released Starter Home, his fourth LP for the esteemed No Quarter records. It’s as cozy and comfortable as one might expect a “starter home” to be: modest, warm, and inviting. Across the album, Paisley extends the concept and comforts of home to other corners of everyday life. Paisley backs his rugged tenor with acoustic guitar, adorned with mild-mannered flecks of organ, mandolin, and steel guitar throughout. Though he spends most of Starter Home in an easygoing, midtempo mood, Paisley closes the record with “Shadows,” a charmingly upbeat number that feels perfectly suited for a last-call twirl around the dance floor. From Virginia, Twain opens with its own strain of mellow tunes that feel equally inspired by midcentury rock and folk.—Allison Hussey