Jeffrey Silverstein

Jeffrey Silverstein’s new EP Roseway is named after the quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in Northeast Portland, OR where the guitarist and songwriter lives. “My drive home from my teaching job is all uphill,” he says. “You kind of crest over this ridge to get to where you want to go. Every moment that happens to me, I just have this sense of ease once I get to the top.” That sense of relief–the feeling of completing a tough journey—animates the six relaxed and meditative songs here. While half of the tracks are pastoral ambient instrumentals and half are plainspoken lyrical numbers with ample twang and groove, each captures Silverstein’s striking comfort with his voice, his process, and his role as a bandleader. To him, these songs feel like home. It’s New Age for the everyman: more cosmic than country and more accessible than esoteric. This is what cosmic country sounds like in 2024.

This EP picks up where his artistic breakthrough and 2023 full-length Western Sky Music left off. A reinvention for Silverstein that traded homespun solo recordings for an expansive full-band sound, the LP was acclaimed by outlets like Aquarium Drunkard and The Portland Mercury, who praised its, “cosmic country and shimmering Americana that feels like a significant step forward from his previous work.” On Roseway, he reunites with his Western Sky Music rhythm section in drummer Dana Buoy (Akron/Family) and bassist Alex Chapman and enlists pedal steel player Connor Gallaher (Anna St. Louis, Lana Del Rey) to flesh out the songs. “I always view EPs as moments to try things and experiment,” says Silverstein. “Building this trust and communication with Alex and Dana has made for a wonderful partnership and helped me take risks I normally wouldn’t.”