Sera Cahoone ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: to my ears, Sera Cahoone has the prettiest female voice in the Pacific Northwest. While it is not spectacular in range, Cahoone’s earthy tone conveys emotion and beauty without any affectation. Unlike so many Northwest Americana artists, there’s no fake twang, no yarl. Her voice, to take a cue from the title of her new song, stands naked. That it sings some of the most beautifully forlorn folk songs being made in the past decade, certainly doesn’t hurt.

Cahoone’s last record, the achingly lovely Only As The Day As Long has sustained me since its 2008 release, sounding as beautiful and timeless today as it did four years ago. But its the kind of album, like a plate of your favorite dessert, that leaves you wanting more even if you’re full. To answer our craving, Cahoone has just announced her next record, Deer Creek to be released on Sub Pop September 25th. The first track from the new album is “Naked” and I’ve listened to almost nothing else since it was released last week.

“Naked” finds Cahoone and her band stepping up production, pushing her voice further forward in the mix so it is undeniably the central focus, adeptly cradled by Jeff Fielder’s unparalleled picking and the singing pedal steel of JB Kardong. The song strikes me as more similar to one of Cahoone’s first local projects, Carissa’s Wierd, than her earlier releases. This is Carissa’s Wierd gone country, which is to say, basically my dream song. Take a listen and download the track for yourself: