Sera Cahoone has been playing warm, easygoing, country-tinged roots music ever since shedding her role as Band of Horses' drummer a few years ago. In that time, she's come to suit a specific mood to perfection: With titles such as "You're Lookin' Tired," "Couch Song," and "I'm on Your Side," Cahoone's songs are about comforting the weary — acknowledging exhaustion while offering reassurance.
"You're Not Broken," a sweetly shuffling ballad from Cahoone's fine sophomore album (Only as the Day Is Long), sounds like the product of a lot of time spent listening to someone complain about aches and pains. There's no bitterness or judgment in the way she acknowledges "your tired arms and your tired hands," and the title hints at a tone somewhere between gentle encouragement and an attempt to motivate someone she knows can do better.
As if Cahoone's voice didn't possess enough healing properties on its own, she closes "You're Not Broken" with an almost comically pleasing two-minute coda. That closing wash of instrumental comfort food — strings, acoustic guitars, a bit of gentle slide guitar — provides the sonic equivalent of a foot-rub at the end of a long day. What could be better?
Sera Cahoone will perform at this week's South by Southwest music festival. To read more of NPR Music's SXSW coverage, click here.
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