Louisiana Songwriter Michael B Kowal Trades Polish for Porch-Light Warmth

Michael B Kowal does not write songs to impress from a distance. His music pulls up a chair and makes room for the listener. The Baton Rouge songwriter usually begins with a quiet moment and a guitar, and the results carry the warmth of a kitchen table rather than the glare of a stage. His latest release, the six-track EP Rice and Gravy, is his clearest expression yet of where he comes from and how he writes. Listeners who know his earlier work will recognise the same unforced delivery here.