Eric Selby’s new single “The Water” and its parent album Five., his fifth album release, reveal an artist fully present in his craft and deeply in tune with the emotional currents that shape his life and music.

Across these releases, Selby balances reflection with accessibility, offering listeners a collection that is honest and rich in layers of sound.

“The Water” opens this latest chapter with a sense of spaciousness.The song draws its power from the elemental pull of its metaphor, using water as both refuge and force, mirroring the song’s emotional tides. Selby’s vocals are conversational, sincere, and blend a narrative that is less about dramatic confession and more about a shared experience.

Lyrics like “watch the high tides grow” and “I’m not afraid of your undertow” don’t just paint images. They also evoke the physical and emotional rhythms that bind us to love, memory and place.

Instrumentation here is fluid with the guitars and keys ebbing and flowing around Selby’s voice in ways that reinforce the central motif.

LIsten here:

On “The Water”, Selby says:

“It is said that we, as humans, are drawn to the water. Whether it’s a lake, a river, a creek or an ocean, we seem to find our zen there. I once heard that as a species, we initially came from the water and so we feel at one with the water and return to it. This makes so much sense to me because, for me, I think I am at my happiest at the beach. I wanted to catch this longing feeling to the water in this song and to connect it with the love of water and the love of a partner. The coda of the song says: “watch the high tides grow,” “drifting into your afterglow,” “I’m not afraid of your undertow” and “let the water flow.” These lyrics represent the analogy of water and the longing within a relationship.”

If “The Water” sets the overall emotional tone, Five. delivers the full emotional landscape. This album is a thoughtful evolution from Selby’s previous work as it grounds his genre layering sound design in a more reflective and cohesive musical vision. Here, Selby lets Americana, folk, roots and subtle psychedlic textures coexist.

But where earlier releases demonstrated a wider stylistic range, Five. is more of an honest conversation, a natural extension of Selby’s experience of life. The themes he explores throughout the album, of home, change, vulnerability and the passage of time, are layered with a subtle continuity.

There is a definite quiet confidence in Selby’s songwriting on this record. He is writing to reflect, to understand and to connect. This is music that is grounded and welcoming in both its style and skill.

“We all evolve, devolve and reimagine ourselves throughout our lives and loves and “Five.” is an accurate observation and fantastic reflection of where I am and who I am in my life personally and musically in this season of life. In “Five.” I reference the water, love, understanding, fear, reflection, my home and life in general. I hope and trust that the listener feels the honestly and creativity that was put into making it.“

The production on Five. is clean, deliberate and performance driven, with a clear emphasis on capturing feel over excessive processing. Tracked at The Facility Nashville, the album leans on high quality signal paths and natural room tone, allowing the rhythm section to remain dynamic and responsive rather than compressed.

Drums are present and articulate without being dominant, bass sits firmly in the low end with warmth and definition, and guitars are layered to preserve clarity. Keyboards and background vocals are integrated subtly to support the arrangements without crowding the mix.

Mastering by Andy Walter at Abbey Road Studios (The Beatles, David Bowie, Radiohead, The Who, Roger Waters) enhances the album’s overall depth, transient detail and balance, giving us a record that translates well across systems while maintaining its organic character.

In both the latest single release “The Water” and the full album “Five.”, Eric Selby delivers songs that unfold over time, that are very much rewards for those who listen with patience and empathy. Five. stands out as a compelling portrait of an artist and songwriter who knows where he has been, feels deeply in the moment and is not afraid to share that depth with the world.

Eric Selby is a singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born and raised in a small town in Maryland and now based in Virginia, near the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains. His music layers Americana, folk, and roots influences with a subtle psychedelic edge.

The youngest of five brothers in a musical household, Selby began playing drums at age nine and has been performing professionally since he was eighteen. Over the years, he has built a diverse career playing and recording with a wide range of acclaimed artists across blues, folk, rock and Americana, earning induction into the Blues Hall of Fame along the way.

Selby’s albums have been named among Roots Music Report’s Best of the Year releases, including a Top 10 National Alternative Folk Album of the Year distinction for his last album “Starting To Sync In.”. With thoughtful lyrics and a strong sense of groove, Selby continues to evolve as an artist while staying grounded in musical craftsmanship.

Connect with Eric Selby on his Website

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