“Statue Song,” which accompanies the video above, is the first offering from Davis/SF artist Garrett Pierce‘s upcoming album, City of Sand, due out later this year on Narnack Records. I recently commented on the inadequacy of the “singer-songwriter” label, and that sentiment certainly holds true for Pierce, whose mixture of moving melodies and frequently heartbreaking lyrics can produce results that are no less than astonishing.

By way of further example, 2009’s All Masks, one of my favorite records of that year, and an album full of beautiful music and aching subject matter. Pierce is currently giving the record away for free on his Bandcamp page, and if you enjoy dark folk rock, you have no excuse not to grab it.