What separates a songwriter from the incoherent, corner store madman or a purveyor of cheap parlor tricks? The crux of this answer lies in an ability to reveal universal, essential truths to the listener in a way that feels simultaneously effortless and impossible. The best songwriters achieve this end regardless of genre or format. Caleb McCoach is one of those. Whether he’s working within the stark, disarming minimalism of his debut LP Songs From an Empty Shore or the more fortified, straightforward rock format of his three-piece band, McCoach’s voice and the honesty held therein remain the stars of the show.

Today, McCoach offers up the first taste of his follow-up to Songs From an Empty Shore in “Love Yr Neighbor,” the debut single from his forthcoming LP Vanity.  The track serves as a nice transition into McCoach’s new sound while remaining driven by the solo, acoustic work that defined Songs From an Empty Shore. Subtle backing vocals set the backdrop for some of McCoach’s favorite discussion topics: love, religion, humanity, creative inspiration, and the art inherent in all of us. Listen to “Love Yr Neighbor” below, and pre-order Vanity on cassette via local label In Store Recordings.

See McCoach perform this evening at Joyful Noise Recordings alongside fellow locals Memory Foam and Chris Dance & The Holy Echo. The show is open to all-ages, for the price of a donation at the door. Get the details on the gig via Facebook.