Local Melbourne artist Chris Watts does it again. Despite all the time he’s been spending in the studio with his band, combined with endless gigging in the Melbourne area, he still managed to put enough energy into his last show at The Espy to get through to the next round of the Emergenza Festival. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure it was very hard for him. With his bright melodic, folky approach to pop rock, and his super smooth vocals, it’s really no surprise that he’s such a crowd pleaser. Since we last talked to him, he’s added a few songs from his upcoming debut album Back Down to his website for streaming.

The title track “Back Down” takes on a really roots vibe with an almost blue-grassy acoustic guitar accompaniment, and sweet singing, going into his falsetto range flawlessly during the choruses. Another song, “Your Wish” brings out the fuzzy electric guitar, combined with his warm, and at times melancholy, vocals to make the song sound like a sort of up beat ballad. He’s planning to rock out these songs and more, so you won’t want to miss out on your next opportunity to see him live. He hits the stage on the 16th at The Espy.