Tommy Prine is a Nashville-bred songwriter carving out his own identity with unflinching honesty, dynamic guitar work, and a voice that bridges Americana, indie folk, and Southern storytelling. Following the breakout of his acclaimed debut album This Far South and the momentum around his new EP Love Circle (out now), Prine has emerged as one of the most compelling young artists in the scene — known for emotionally charged live shows, sharp songwriting, and a rapidly growing fanbase across the U.S. and Europe.

At once confident and exploratory, Schlemiel captures Josh Halper at his most settled yet, which is to say, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Combining alt-countrypolitan folk rock songs, windswept anthems that recall the War on Drugs’ dreamy updates on classic heartland rock, expertly laid-back ensemble jamming, and cinematic fingerpicked instrumentals that suggest Halper could make a top-notch William Tyler-esque solo guitar LP any time he wants, Schlemiel follows in the vein of his 2020 debut Alrightnik’s wryly funny yet poignant ruminations. But where its predecessor mostly meditated on the conflict within oneself, Schlemiel also investigates the conflicts in relationships that accompany growing up, winding through terse conversations and stalemated silences between childhood friends and ex-lovers, with a bitingly contemporary lyrical sensibility that sits pleasingly in tension with the classic sonic palette. Unconsciously written in the year leading up to a move away from Halper’s native Nashville, the record feels like the air right as the season begins to change—restless—ushering in something new.