The past may be prologue, but for John Mark Nelson, the present is something else entirely: a gateway into a new era of life and the new sound that defines his upcoming album, I m Not Afraid. Having released two critically lauded albums of melodic, lilting folk songs the ages of 17 and 19, Nelson, now 21, is set to take listeners on a leap forward into a new sonic landscape of propulsive rhythms and bright, complex instrumental arrangements. From the irresistible bounce and frustrated romance of the first single, "Dream Last Night," to the clap-along amble of "Broken" and the timeless, elegant sweep of "I Won t Win (If I Let You In)," I m Not Afraid defies genre and demands attention. As a document of what Nelson calls "a very new, very different season of life," it positions him as one of the most exciting young songwriters and multi-instrumentalists of his generation.