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Drew Gibson writes big songs that you can hold in the palm of your hand

January 2, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EST
Singer-songwriter Drew Gibson. (Terry Gibson)

Traditional singer-songwriters tend to be resourceful creatures. Good for them, good for us. We expect them to generate entire worlds with little more than six guitar strings and a pair of lungs — and the best of them come through.

But what would it sound like to reverse that idea? On his latest album, “Shipbuilder,” Drew Gibson surrounds himself with dynamic musicians who help him layer and stretch his songs in ways that you might not even notice. “I think it’s great when you have a long song that doesn’t feel long,” the Virginia-based troubadour says, explaining his music’s magic trick. Time shrinks down. The muchness starts to feel small.

Gibson credits the effect to the tremendous skill of his supporting players, who allow him to sink further into the shadowy mood of the music. “It’s like with real estate, right?” Gibson says. “You don’t want to have the nicest house on the block. I don’t want to be the best musician in my band.” But he’s still the group’s centrifugal member, with most of his songs built atop fingerpicked guitar lines, which Gibson says are partially inspired by Mark Knopfler, famously of Dire Straits. “He’s one of my favorite guitar players of all time,” Gibson says.

“Shipbuilder” is Gibson’s fourth album in 12 years and he thinks it’s his best — even though, in a way, the songs themselves won’t ever really be finished. “Whatever I couldn’t do in a studio, we can always do live,” Gibson says. There’s another cool trick. Onstage, this music always has the potential to feel bigger-smaller-longer-shorter than ever.

Show: Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. pearlstreetwarehouse.com. Free.