A new generation of singers and songwriters is emerging in the long shadow of Jason Molina. Rightfully so. I’ve long suspected that his legacy will outlast us all, securing his place among the great American storytellers.

It may be unfair to invoke his name when discussing these two bands – they’re definitely out on their own journeys – but both share some of his defining qualities and give me the same eerie shiver. Dogwood Tales, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, has been around for 10 years, though I knew little about them before. That’s about to change. “McMemories” shifts effortlessly between vulnerable pedal steel and diesel-fueled guitars, recalling the ragged grandeur of Magnolia Electric Co. while carrying some of the laconic charm of MJ Lenderman. It’s immediately captivating, a snapshot of small-town America filled with keen observations: “I had a dream that you were a light beam / coming down through the darkest night I’d ever seen.”

Oakland’s Credit Electric has also been crafting rustic Americana for about a decade. Along the way they’ve collaborated with artists such as Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats and producer Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Vetiver and many more). Their new track, “we’ll laugh about it later,” is a slow burner where pedal steel and saxophone melt together beneath bandleader Ryan LoPilato’s sluggish vocals. A song that will creep under your skin and stay there.

Two gorgeous new songs. Or to paraphrase Molina, hymns that settle close to your ears.