Robin Gottfried, The Things You Said
(Self-released, digital, CD)
One would be hard-pressed to find many Vermont musicians with a bigger catalog than Burlington singer-songwriter and guitarist Robin Gottfried. Originally from New York City, Gottfried moved to Vermont in 1978 and has been part of the local scene since, releasing a steady stream of blues and soft-rock records, including his most recent and 13th album, The Things You Said.
Much of the album serves as an extended love letter to Gottfried’s wife, Zoë Harding, to whom he dedicates the record in the liner notes. That loving theme gives the record a sweet, romantic sheen, especially on the title track, with its smooth AM Gold swagger, and “Try Me On.” The latter carries shades of nightclub jazz and ’80s Top 40 balladry, sung by keyboardist Billie Fountain, who, along with drummer Ian Koeller, are the only other musicians on The Things You Said. Gottfried handles everything else, including mixing the record.
There’s an unabashed cheese factor to much of Gottfried’s music, particularly on tracks such as “Give to Me.” But one person’s Velveeta is another’s burrata, and Gottfried has his sound down to a science. The Things You Said isn’t breaking any molds, but it’s a strong display from a Green Mountain veteran who shows no sign of slowing down.
The Things You Said is available on major streaming services.
Allie Bourgeois, Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie
(Self-released, digital)
Vermont’s folk music has many shades these days: Artists often flirt with rock, pop, punk and even prog. Such abundance makes sense; the state has long been a haven for folkies, even before the back-to-the-land movement of the ’60s and ’70s brought a wave of musicians to the Green Mountains. If we’re talking OG folk gangsters, there’s Helen Hartness Flanders, who famously collected thousands of folk songs and ballads in New England, starting in the 1930s.
Something tells me Hartness Flanders would have enjoyed the debut EP from 18-year-old singer-songwriter Allie Bourgeois. Bourgeois’ songs have a near-timeless quality, which perhaps informs the title, Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. The EP’s four songs are in a sort of conversation with Guthrie — a teenager from the 21st century reaching back through the mists to reference an ancient giant of the genre. Pardon my French, but that’s folk as fuck.
From her hushed, conversational vocals and the metronomic beat of her acoustic guitar to stabs of harmonica, Bourgeois’ songs are folk in its most primal state, even when she’s singing lines such as “I ain’t goin’ to school no more” on the track “hog island blues.”
According to Bourgeois, these songs are the first she’s ever written, though you wouldn’t know to hear them. She also recorded the EP herself in a closet, a stylistic “choice” that works in its favor, lending a raw, visceral quality to the music.
Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie is available at alliebourgeois.bandcamp.com and major streaming services.
WiseAcres, Ballast
(Self-released, digital)
Frankly, I spent way too much time in 2024 trying to figure out whether WiseAcres’ debut LP, Anchor, was the work of a jam band. I wouldn’t have been out of place on a New York City subway, ranting and raving about time signatures and the lack of bass solos to anyone not jaded enough to ignore me.
Fortunately, I’ve stopped worrying and learned to (mostly) love the Burlington quartet’s fusion of indie, yacht rock and a sort of controlled funk-prog. On their most recent offering, Ballast (yargh, I’m sensing a theme), WiseAcres zig and zag, twist and turn, mutating their sound to fit any occasion. The indie soul of “Grander Designs/So Inclined” gives way to the fuzz-funk weirdness of “Rhetorical Ultimatum,” and somehow it works.
When reviewing Anchor, I remarked on the lack of a jam band-worthy song title such as “Coaxial Fibrillation Meatball Comedown, Pt. II.” In response, the fellas went ahead and wrote “Coaxial Fibrillation Comedown Pt 2 #3,” and to be honest, it’s kind of a banger. Along with the synth rocker “Sinking Dove” and the ’70s Paul McCartney-esque “Raspoutine,” the tune represents some of the stronger moments on the sophomore LP. There are definitely a few brief slogs on this record — perhaps a too-many-cooks, too-many-ingredients situation — but mostly, it’s an unpredictable, highly melodic slice of indie invention.
Ballast is available at wiseacres.bandcamp.com and major streaming services.
This article appears in March 4 • 2026.
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