Attention all fans of independently-produced acoustic music; you need to listen to Jesse Payne.

Now that I have your attention, you really should consider giving Jesse Payne a listen, because if you’re a fan of contemporary-acoustic music you will more than likely enjoy Payne.

To be fair, Payne’s sound is not anything new in today’s indie-acoustic scene. Half of the time, Payne sounds like a simple-yet-elegant folk guitarist such as M. Ward or Johnny Flynn. Other times, and the times when Payne sounds best, he weaves together all of the sounds of his four-piece band to create beautiful, deep melodies similar to those of Fleet Foxes. Plus, Payne’s affection for the reverb sound effect and constant use of open space makes the Fleet Foxes similarities that much more obvious.

The true beauty of Payne’s music lies not in his similarities to other musicians, but in his musical precision and dedication to each song. In the biography on his web site, Payne calls each one of his songs a “sonic picture” and I must say that I myself could not think of a better description. Each song has its own personality; every member contributes something to create a final product that is far greater than any one member’s contribution. In other words, Payne and his band mates are artists, and they know it.

In the song, “Until the Roots Surface,” Payne says “You can’t say there’s nothing better, than sitting up drinking with you.” Well I would argue that on Jan. 28, there will not be much better to do than sitting up drinking with Jesse Payne when he plays Eighth and Rail in Opelika.

Preview Jesse Payne’s music on iTunes or on his MySpace page at myspace.com/jessepayne.