With an American alt-pop sound that’s unique from start to finish, this is the year of the Babe. The design of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Seth Evans, he draws inspiration from his Great Lakes upbringing. Perhaps most notably so by deriving the name Paul Babe from the giant, superhuman lumberjack of Northwood’s lore who’s faithful companion was the Blue Ox, Babe. The music is based on ambition, raw feelings, natural occurrences; moments big and small that were always meant to happen. His sound is both genuine and rich in spirit, as his upcoming music is truly a labor of love. He makes beautiful sounds and then butchers them, obsesses over spaces but is not entirely minimal. The finished product often depicts a deceptively dense greenhouse of sound. The drum arrangements sway a little bit electro and a little bit organic. In his hierarchy of songwriting and production priorities, melody always reigns supreme. When the cake finally comes out of the oven it is often a homemade and gritty but bonafide result. Made during a period of significant loss in Evans’ life, the songs ultimately carry undertones of positivity and hope for the future. Moments of trying to find the good in horrible situations. Of realizing that there is beauty in the scars. These elements helped to inspire and mold his music into what it has become today, and what an odyssey it is.