Encore

Editors’ Notes Each song on East’s excellent third album is encore-worthy: stormy, soulful, fit for teary-eyed swaying. Like Ray LaMontagne or Chris Stapleton (the latter of whom cowrote the heartwarming “King for a Day"), his gravelly, tormented howl perfectly lends itself to the tender space between soul, blues, and Southern rock that seems to lift you to your feet. Producer Dave Cobb is a master at dialing up the emotion even further–with gusts of gospel (“Sorry You’re Sick”), swirling string arrangements (“House Is a Building”), and staccato handclaps against chunky horns (“Girlfriend”)–but it’s East’s heart-on-sleeve vulnerability that brings it all home.