Nick Justice - Rain Dancing (2026)

This collection from the seasoned California singer-songwriter Nick Justice would appeal to fans of Gordon Lightfoot & John Denver. The song styles are nothing you haven’t heard before, but they are performed with a relaxing, good storytelling style in Nick’s warm, homegrown voice. The 12 tales that make up Rain Dancing were produced pristinely by Ed Tree (electric, acoustic, slide & bass/harmonium/organ/percussion). There isn’t too much of a controversial pin-prick in these folky numbers, but there are some wonderfully described lyrics in tunes such as “Need To Be Free.” Justice has a talent for descriptive lyrics in a manner that doesn’t follow any trend. He successfully blends folky elements with country traditions.

Even the more novelty-oriented songs are rendered with a tongue-in-cheek seriousness that’s charming (“Runnin’ With the Blind”). This could’ve been covered by the Grateful Dead in another time. Nick’s voice has its distinctive moments, but he’s not Fred Neil, Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan, or Waylon Jennings. The songs don’t pretend to be earth-shakers or ear-tuggers. Instead, he settles for the quiet smile on a listener’s lips as they peruse his melodic lines & deeply affecting words.