I Called It! [Purple Vinyl]

Ramsey Thornton - I Called It! [Purple Vinyl]

Ramsey Thornton makes modern-day folk music for early mornings and quiet hours. It's a warm, rhythmic sound, fueled by intricate fingerpicking and the observational storytelling of a lifelong musician who's still discovering new horizons. Long before he became an unsung hero of Tulsa's music scene — playing banjo in Ken Pomeroy's band, drumming for jazz combos, and collaborating with hometown heroes like Wilderado — the Oklahoma native began drumming at 6 years old. By his late-teens, he was playing stringed instruments, too. Banjo came first. Acoustic guitar followed, with Ramsey developing a hypnotic, percussive style — including intricate rhythms and uniquely phrased arpeggios — that seemed to nod to the two instruments he'd already learned. Ramsey recorded I Called It! in Brooklyn, where he teamed up with Isaac Stalling and Sam Skinner (Pinegrove) in a Bed-Stuy studio. They anchored each song with a live performance of guitar and vocals, adding other instruments — from the interlocking layers of strings that sweep through "Tony's Song," a gorgeous duet with Ken Pomeroy, to the brushed percussion and keyboards that punctuate "Backyard" — for textural effect. Back home in Oklahoma, Ramsey tapped Chad Copeland (Broncho, Wilderado) to contribute synth, drones, and other atmospherics to tracks like "Fourth of July." Even so, I Called It generally unfolds like a one-man show, capturing Ramsey Thornton in his element: intimate, locked-in, and focused on the present moment. "I like my music to sound natural," he says simply. "These are songs that I wrote around my kitchen table. I recorded them with my friends. I hope they just sound like me." With I Called It!, Ramsey Thornton keeps his eye on the outside world and his hands on the fretboard, creating a gentle, guitar-driven soundtrack to everyday life. 1. Riverside 2. Dripping Coffee 3. Chase After You 4. Home Base 5. Backyard 6. Window 7. Rocking 8. Tony’s Song ft. Ken Pomeroy 9. Oil Capital 10. Interlude 11. Hotshot 12. Fourth of July