Return to LAUREL CANYON

Laurel Canyon’s musical shadow looms large; in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the neighbourhood in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills was a haven for singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Carole King, James Taylor and legions of others. Half a century later, a handful of California dreamin’ songwriters harkened back to that sound and aesthetic.

JESSICA PRATT

The sparse, hushed songs on L.A. songwriter Jessica Pratt’s breakthrough, On Your Own Love Again, recall the delicately plucked sounds of Joni Mitchell’s Ladies of the Canyon or Blue, all finger-scrapes, soothing melodies and Pratt’s unique, wistful alto.

NATALIE PRASS

Richmond, VA songwriter Natalie Prass might not have much to do with California, but her self-titled debut sported all the orchestral-folk splendour of Linda Ronstadt’s early ’70s output. Spacebomb Records founder Matthew E. White, whose lavish Fresh Blood also fits this list, co-produced.

FATHER JOHN MISTY

I Love You, Honeybear was bombastic, sure, but behind Josh Tillman’s stomping piano chords and unbuttoned bravado were lyrics that mined self-hatred, the mysteries of love and the emptiness of modern life, all with the L.A. transplant’s incisive dark humour. If it reminded you of Graham Nash’s swaggering-yet-sensitive Songs for Beginners, you aren’t alone.

TOBIAS JESSO JR.

Masterful songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr.’s transformation from backing player to L.A. troubadour was completed this year with the release of Goon, a piano-and-guitar collection indebted to the simple yet consummately melodic songs of early ’70s Paul McCartney and Neil Young.

MAC DEMARCO

On his 2015 mini-LP Another One, Mac DeMarco finally completed his transformation from fun loving slack-rocker to Harry Nilsson-esque songwriter extraordinaire. Sweet one moment, sleazy the next, DeMarco’s whimsical songwriting showed a marked improvement this year without losing its breezy charm.