Withered Hand, “New Dawn”

The utter lack of pretense makes it easy to fall head over heels for Withered Hand, the vehicle of Scottish singer and songwriter Dan Willson. Over an anxious rush of acoustic guitar and a banging back beat, Willson starts reminiscing about bands whose names were scrawled across his sneakers and backpack: Pavement, Sonic Youth and Silver Jews. Astute listeners might add the buzzy hooks of Guided By Voices to his list, but Wilson’s tale of awkward young love is way too self-aware to wallow in nostalgia -- about his long-gone romance or his record collection. It’s a poppy banger with a pure heart, and the kind of tune that’s all over his aptly named debut LP, Good News. -- Nate Cavalieri

"New Dawn" Withered Hand