Kevin Coleman has already proven himself to be one of the more adventurous artists within the cosmic Americana sphere, but with K.C.Blues, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist progresses Appalachian and fingerstyle guitar traditions into a whole new beast.

Inspired by roughened field recordings of blues and folk music from the early 20th century, this album finds Coleman further embracing spontaneity, the art of imperfection and the freedom of live improvisation and open collaboration to his expressionistic style of string music. Recorded in various non-traditional spaces with equipment that sometimes malfunctioned with friends like Trevor Nikrant (Styrofoam Winos, MJ Lenderman, Ryan Davis’s Roadhouse Band), Tommy Stangroom and J.W. Bird leaning into freeform sonic experimentation, K.C. Blues reflects a more discordant and chaotic side to Coleman’s otherwise pastoral sound. With banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, lapsteel and drums commingling with a whole cornucopia of unexpected instruments from wine glasses to Gopichand and balalaika, the music here is reminiscent of everything from forgotten prewar 78s to the rustic gothic chill of Jill Tracy and the Malcontent Orchestra and the southern gothic atmosphere of 2000s-era Tom Waits.

Check out the album’s first single, the surreal fingerpicked full-band fantasia epic that is “Ars Longa,” for a fine example of the record’s unique experimental, mood-based folk style:

Co-released between Centripetal Force (USA) and Ramble Records (AUS) and to be released on July 17 on vinyl, CD and digital, this is a must have for anyone who’s a fan of Pelt, Magic Tuber Stringband and the likes of Amon Düül II. Preorder your copy here (unless you’re in Australia, in which case, click here).

-KH