Dubbed a “musical Raymond Carver,” New Jersey-based singer-songwriter Dave Murphy is making a welcome return to today’s thriving Americana scene with his most compelling album to date. A Heart So Rare (January 31) is a fearless, heartfelt reflection on human fallibility, love lost, mortality, and acceptance. It relays, in honest detail, the mistakes and longing of a man encountering the weight of divorce, all the while embracing moments of surrender, forgiveness, and mystery. There’s always hope for redemption and peace, and this record beautifully catalogs his journey towards it.

He assembled a crew of heavy-hitters for this record, including legendary Saturday Night Live house drummer Shawn Pelton (Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen), keyboardist Rob Clores (Jesse Malin, Charli XCX, Lucinda Williams), bassist Richard Hammond (Joan Osborne, Hamilton original Broadway cast), Grammy-winner Ben Wisch, Todd Caldwell (Crosby, Stills & Nash), and special guests Mark Erelli and James Maddock. But it’s Dave Murphy’s signature vocals and authentic storytelling that carry the listener from one redemptive song to the next.

Murphy is an accomplished performer who’s toured in the US, Canada, Ireland, and the UK. He’s shared stages with Steve Forbert, Suzanne Vega, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing, Alejandro Escovedo, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and his Chasing Ghosts album featured Nicole Atkins and Forbert. He received consistent airplay for his last four albums on AAA, Americana, and folk radio stations across North America and Europe.