It sounds country, pop, and ‘radio-friendly.’ But there’s a wrinkle in Nashville’s genre status that’s begging for soulful folk music. The sound that returns people to their roots, but their ear hasn’t quite settled on. Bentley Caldwell is forming that sound. Soulful as an Otis Redding record, Bentley’s catalogue seems as though it would be more at home in a dusty old record shop, but is characterized by his thrilling lyrics, which soothe the ear of the 21st century. Originally from Kentucky and now a resident of Nashville, Bentley Caldwell was named Nashville’s Best Emerging Artist of 2014 by Deli Magazine

• Folk
• Country
• Pop
• Soul
• Americana