Michael Hurley - Watertower (1988)

Singer and songwriter Michael Hurley has become a cult hero for his playfully surreal brand of folk music, witty and thoughtful and filled with both joy and consternation. Married to simple melodies steeped in traditional folk, Hurley often prefers recording at home to going into a studio, and the simple, lo-fi feel of his music made him a hero to the later freak folk scene. 1972's Hi-Fi Snock Uptown was a superior early effort; 1976's Have Moicy! (a collaboration with the Unholy Modal Rounders and Jeffrey Frederick) was a minor masterpiece of loose-limbed urban folk; 1980's Snockgrass was steeped in blues, folk, and jug band influences; 1995's Wolf Ways saw him back in action after a layoff from recording; 2009's Ida Con Snock was a collaboration with indie rockers Ida; and 2021's The Time of the Foxgloves was a spare and soulful effort that captured him in classic form.