Jake Ybarra’s first full-length album, SOMETHING IN THE WATER, a coalescence of nature, nurture, influence, and observation will be available April 7. The well-paced project resonates with emotion and insightful storytelling. From a sense of yearning – for life, for love and for understanding – to a celebratory joy at rekindled love, demons chased, and lives well lived, Jake plumbs the hidden corners of the heart. Ybarra’s rich, rumbling baritone is magical … hear the catch in his voice and feel your own heart break; “hear” the smirk and feel the smile. There are hints of humor, legions of loss, and heaps of honest reflection in this diverse collection. Influenced by the “church” music on which he was raised and secular icons Guy Clark, John Prine, James McMurtry, and Townes Van Zandt, the characters in Jake’s songs are often reminiscent of those found in the writings of his favorite authors, George Saunders, Stephen Vincent Benet, and Ernest Hemingway.

Recorded at The Castle Studio in Nashville and produced by William Gawley (Taylor Rae, Taylor Hicks, Taylor McCall), SOMETHING IN THE WATER was engineered and mixed by Bryce Roberts (Lady A, Florida Georgia Line, Hootie & The Blowfish). The project brought together notable pickers, including David Flint on acoustic guitar/electric guitar/mandolin (Highway 101, Billy Montana); Dow Tomlin on bass (Wynonna, Brooks & Dunn, Lee Ann Womack); Dane Bryant on piano/organ (Dolly Parton, Olivia Newton John, Clint Black), and Billy Thomas on drums/backing vocals (Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert). Ybarra played acoustic guitar throughout.

Two streaming tracks and their companion music videos have already been released from the album. The color-drenched “Late November” video aired on high-profile outlets, including CMT.com, IndiMusic TV and This Week in Americana. The Rockabilly-tinged “A Whole Lot To Remember” inspired a striking black & white video which premiered on Americana-uk.com. Other highlights include the reflective “No Reason Or Right,” which takes the listener inside a 100-year-old love story when a homeowner discovers letters written long ago, while “Long Winter” captures a stir-crazy day in the life of a couple as they strive to avoid conflict. Ybarra’s first radio single, the guitar-driven, Roots/Rocker “BloodFire” will issue later this month. The track, musically edgy and lyrically pointed, is an ode to the devil inside us all.