Patchwork, A Favorite Akransas Times Album of 2024

It’s rare to find a storyteller with the potency of the greats — the Springsteens, Dylans and Prines of the world — but when you hear it, it’s something you recognize immediately. Arkansas singer-songwriter Jesse Welles’ “Patchwork” boasts this authority from the first strum. His refined folk styling blends pop culture, current events and autobiographical trimmings with a commanding force, weaving a tapestry of teetering spirituality, hope, community and decay as he sees it across The Natural State and the world at large. Between the contemplative vulnerability of tracks like “Fear is the Mind Killer” and “Let It Be Me” and the blunt observations of “See Arkansaw” and “Walmart,” it’s hard to imagine that you won’t find a cutting hook — lyrically or melodically — that grabs you and refuses to let go. A viral sensation on Instagram and TikTok, 2024 was a big year for Welles. He shared a bill with legends at Willie Nelson’s annual Farm Aid festival, collaborated with Mt. Joy’s Matt Quinn and even found the time to put out a second full-length album (“Hells Welles”) and an EP (“All Creatures Great and Small.)”

Our favorite Arkansas albums of 2024 by Jonah Thornton, January 3, 2025
https://arktimes.com/rock-candy/2025/01/03/our-favorite-arkansas-albums-of-2024