Jammies nominated musician Eric Kehoe releases new track

Following his Jammies nominated self titled debut in 2012, local artist Eric Kehoe worked quickly to release a follow up track, “Haunt Me.”

“Haunt Me” begs to be listened to over and over. There is a certain sense of ambiguity and nostalgia associated with the song's overall aesthetic. For something so intimate and simple, the song is surprisingly complex. A solidary Wurlitzer electric piano backs a singular vocal track. The sounds of the streets of Grand Rapids are a subtle addition, as is the slight reverb on Kehoe’s vocals.

The lyrics are thoughtful and with each listen, the song takes on different meanings. It seems like Kehoe is searching. For what exactly, I can’t say. “Haunt Me” asks the audience to sit back and reflect.

Knowing Kehoe as primarily a guitarist, it was a bit surprising to learn that his new track’s instrumentation was a solidary Wurlitzer. However, perhaps Kehoe’s biggest strength is his confidence and his drive to experiment and expand his repertoire. Throughout his musical career, from his days as frontman and lead guitarist in Duffy, his far too brief stint as bassist in Valentiger, his cover-a-day blog and finally his self-titled release last year, Kehoe has worn many different musical hats.

As he showcased in his self-titled debut album, Kehoe’s range is vast. From soulful vocals to angry guitar riffs, it’s impossible to put Kehoe in a genre. And I’d like to think that he likes it that way.

The one common theme throughout his work, and is proven once again in “Haunt Me,” is that Kehoe is first and foremost a storyteller. I can’t wait to hear more of his stories in the future.

"Haunt Me" is available at Kehoe's Bandcamp site.